Minnesota Sen. Omar Fateh announced on X that his Safety, Trust, and Respect (STAR) Act passed through committee this week, a measure in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now prohibited from entering courtrooms, schools, colleges, and health care facilities.
The celebration emerged as Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and eight other secretaries of state, including Minnesota’s, recently demanded written assurance from the Department of Homeland Security secretary that ICE agents will not enforce the law at polling places.
These developments parallel blue-state actions from Minnesota to Maine in limiting federal enforcement occurring as President Trump continues his priority of securing our nation from foreign criminals.
In the celebration post, Fateh, a Democratic state senator showed his pride Wednesday by writing, “I’m really proud that my STAR Act passed through committee yesterday. The Safety, Trust, and Respect ACT is a major bill that would hold ICE accountable and prohibit them from sensitive areas like courtrooms, schools, colleges, and healthcare facilities.”
Fateh stated the legislation was developed “because we anticipated long ago that Trump could do the type of terrible things we have seen”, in corresponding posts.
Just this month in Maine, Bellows signed a letter also co-signed by secretaries of state in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. The letter was addressed to Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma who is President Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security beginning Mar. 31, 2026.
The Maine Wire confirmed the letter requested that Sen. Mullin confirmed in writing by Apr. 8, 2026 that no ICE agents will be deployed to polling locations, expressing concerns about voter intimidation due to law enforcement presence. Surely, this is the only reason.
Fateh’s state-level legislation targets ICE access as Minnesota’s secretary of state co-signed Bellow’s letter to federal officials, further illustrating the cohesive Democrat-led initiative in two non-bordering states in impeding priorities under the current administration.
Sen. Mullin, who is not required to respond to secretaries of state, publicly supports President Trump’s agenda and says he looks forward to “supporting @POTUS’ mission to safeguard the American people and defend the homeland,” while emphasizing a restoration of law and order while securing our border.
The STAR Act frames accountability for ICE just as Bellows frames security for a constitutional election, while both similarly act towards mitigating federal law enforcement presence in their respective areas. As the Apr. 8, 2026 mandate from the blue-state coalition letter approaches, these examples serve as further indication of coordinated delineation of law enforcement boundaries amid immigration operations.
