On Monday, seven individuals dismissed from homeless camps in Minneapolis parks this year and had their belongings demolished sued the city and others in federal court, arguing that their civil rights had been violated.
The lawsuit requests a temporary restraining order as well as a preliminary injunction concerning the evictions. The said lawsuit brought in Minnesota's United States district court aims to end the clearing of homeless camps in the parks of the city, arguing that they breach the constitution's Fourth and Fifth Amendments and the Constitution of Minnesota and statute law.
This year, in the wake of the outbreak, hundreds of encampments have emerged in Minneapolis, with a few permitted to stay while some being taken down in evictions.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, that filed the lawsuit along with the Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, mentioned in a statement: "Giving little or no notice, law enforcement bulldozed people's shelters, throwing away personal belongings including keepsakes, identification cards, clothing, and blankets."
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"Homelessness is a crisis across the country, even in our prosperous city of Minneapolis, and simply removing people from public view is not the solution," as per Justin Perl, litigation director of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. "The city and county's bulldozer approach are not only cruel, but it is also shortsighted, counterproductive, and a waste of taxpayers' dollars," he added.
Staff attorney for the Minnesota American Civil Liberties Union, Clare Diegel, stated that in the Twin Cities, there are hundreds of homeless individuals and that both the county and city have unable to provide sufficient shelter or accommodation.
"Instead, the so-called plan is to repeatedly kick out hundreds of residents without permanent homes from public parks, upend their lives, destroy their property and then fail to find them somewhere safe to live," Diegel mentioned in a statement. "Throwing away people's only belongings without notice is a shameful violation of their civil liberties."
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A statement refuting the suit's allegations was issued by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and stating that they followed the standards for coronavirus issued by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
"The lawsuit filed today by the Minnesota ACLU, Legal Aid, and ZACAH makes numerous allegations, many of which are simply not true," MPRB said in a statement. "This summer, several park encampments were removed due to size; documented crime, health, and safety incidents; or location in a school safety zone. In all cases, notice to vacate was provided to those living in the encampments, significant social service outreach took place, and transportation was offered to shelter locations."
"The MPRB has consistently acknowledged that parks do not provide dignified shelter," continued the statement. "Three people have already died at homeless encampments in Minneapolis this year. The action by the plaintiffs in today's lawsuit does absolutely nothing to ensure the safety of homeless people in the coming days when the first days of winter are upon us all."
Authorities for Hennepin County have not responded to requests for clarification.
