Klobuchar, Franken, Ellison Introduce Bill to Ensure Government Buildings Can Be Accessed by Public Transportation and Prevent Future Errors

Press Release

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken have joined with Congressman Keith Ellison to introduce legislation that will prevent the errors the Government Services Administration (GSA) made in selecting the Twin Cities U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field office location. GSA's current plans call for moving the Twin Cities USCIS field office to an out-of-the-way location with limited public transportation options. The legislation, authored by Senator Klobuchar and cosponsored by Senator Franken, would require the GSA, before entering into a lease, to verify that the building location meets any public transportation distance requirement specified in its lease solicitation and that public transportation runs regularly throughout the normal business hours of the building.

"Minnesota has a proud tradition of opening its doors to refugees and immigrants seeking a better life, and these communities need to be able to access the critical services USCIS provides," said Klobuchar. "While we work to find solutions to the current proposed move, we also need to ensure similar mistakes are not made down the road."

"Immigration Services helps countless immigrants and Minnesotans every year," Franken said. "We need to make sure that Immigration Services offices--and all other federal buildings serving the public--are actually accessible to the people they serve. This bill is just common sense."

"Moving the USCIS St. Paul Field Office to a location not serviced by public transportation hurts the Minnesotans who need to visit the office the most," Rep. Ellison said. "GSA should postpone their current plans to move into the new location until an adequate transportation solution can be found or a new federal government tenant for the building can be found. Our bill will ensure that leases proposed by GSA will factor in public transit options because all Minnesotans should have easy access to public services through public transportation."

The GSA is currently planning to move the Twin Cities USCIS office to a location with limited public transportation options. After a push from Senator Klobuchar, the USCIS hosted a meeting in Minnesota to discuss the agency's plan to relocate the Twin Cities office.

Klobuchar, Franken, and Ellison have also joined with Representatives Collin Peterson, Betty McCollum, Tim Walz, and Rick Nolan to send a letter calling on the GSA to halt the proposed move and explore alternatives. The letter also requests answers to a number of questions stemming from the recent stakeholder meeting.

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