Republicans fall one vote short on bill to criminalize blowing whistles to warn of ICE

[cbabe]

https://azmirror.com/briefs/republicans-fall-one-vote-short-on-bill-to-criminalize-blowing-whistles-to-warn-of-ice/

Republicans fall one vote short on bill to criminalize blowing whistles to warn of ICE

GLORIA REBECCA GOMEZ
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MAY 5, 2026

A GOP-backed bill that would criminalize blowing whistles to alert people to immigration agents, a tactic embraced by activists in Minnesota earlier this year, was rejected on Tuesday. But that failure is likely to be temporary, and the measure may still land on the governor’s desk.

The proposal would create a new state crime called “unlawful alerting,” and punish it with a class 1 misdemeanor, which carries with it a six-month jail sentence. Someone would be guilty of “unlawful alerting” if they communicate with another person about an impending arrest, including via verbal warnings, gestures, electronic communications or sounds like bells or whistles.

Critics say it risks looping in people who publish social media alerts about the presence of federal immigration agents throughout the Valley.

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(Unlawful alerting. Just making sh*t up.)