The most populous city in Minnesota, controlled by Democratic vice presidential hopeful Governor Tim Walz, has sworn in its first non-U.S. citizen police officer. Lesly Vera, who was born in Mexico, took the oath of office in Minneapolis last week.
The move follows a policy change by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) in 2023, eliminating the citizenship prerequisite for law enforcement candidates. Under the new guidelines, candidates only need to be residents authorized to work in the U.S.
“Our 23 new officers include the first Somali-American woman to join the department and the first permanent resident. A police service that looks like our residents is better able to serve our residents, and I couldn’t be more proud of the department we’re building under Chief O’Hara,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.
Elon Musk, CEO of X, expressed concerns about the move, noting the Roman Empire’s reliance on noncitizens in its military prior to its collapse.
Similar initiatives to put migrants in police uniforms are underway across the country. In the U.S. capital of Washington D.C., foreign nationals can even receive $25,000 signing bonuses.
Noncitizens can also run U.S. elections—despite technically being banned from voting in them—including Kelly Wong, a Chinese citizen appointed to the San Francisco Elections Commission.
