ICE operations in Minnesota are entering their third month, and Minnesotans continue to push back as a community while also looking to elected officials for leadership, especially at the state level. This week, I spoke with Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, who is also currently running for the U.S. Senate.
In our conversation, Flanagan makes clear that ICE remains very much present on the ground in Minnesota, despite personnel shake-ups in the Trump administration and a reported change in tone. She argues that what’s been happening has little to do with public safety and often doesn’t even seem to be about immigration enforcement — especially, she notes, given reports of federal agents detaining Native Americans.
Flanagan shared that while the situation is difficult, with many families afraid to leave their homes, neighbors are stepping up for one another — organizing grocery runs and school pick-ups. I asked how she responds to those who say Minnesotans should simply comply if they want ICE to leave the state alone, whether fraud investigations targeting Somali Americans are a legitimate reason for the heavy enforcement activity or merely a pretext, and more. Flanagan offers an up-close view of a federal operation that appears increasingly disconnected from its stated purpose.
Click play to listen to the discussion.
