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Dear neighbors,
It’s been another scary week. Our community feels under attack by our federal government. Thank you for your continued efforts to defend our neighbors and stand up for our constitutional rights.
In the last week, federal agents have:
- Entered school property and tackled students, broke car windows, used chemical agents, and handcuffed staff.
And that’s an abbreviated list. I’d urge you all to listen to the story of Patty O’Keefe, who ICE agents illegally detained before releasing her without charges. Her story is just one of the horrific accounts from community members who have been detained and degraded by ICE.
I know many of you have questions about comments from President Trump a few days ago when he threatened to use the Insurrection Act against our state. Let me be clear- There is no insurrection in Minnesota. The problem is not Minnesotans - the problem is the poorly trained, unaccountable, masked federal agents who are harming them. Trump’s threat of the Insurrection Act is a clear and dangerous abuse of presidential power. It is not needed. It’s an attempt to take away the authority granted to Minnesota by the Constitution. This is exactly why the Framers created a careful balance between the states and the federal government – to guard against abuses of power.
In the face of violence, excessive force, and rampant unlawful activity from ICE agents, Minnesotans aren’t taking the bait. People are volunteering, donating, and finding ways to protect and take care of each other. The overwhelming majority have protested peacefully. In nearly every case, the escalation of volatile situations has come from ICE agents’ behavior, not from Minnesotans.
City Leaders Providing Regular Updates
During this period, local and state elected officials from Minneapolis have come together in regular, public meetings to keep our community informed and engaged as events continue to unfold. These briefings are an important space for transparency and accountability where leaders share verified information, coordinate resources, and respond directly to community concerns.
In these sessions, we’ve received firsthand updates from:
- Elected officials working on the ground who are tracking developments and advocating for public safety.
- Public health directors who have outlined the serious health implications of federal enforcement actions, including the use of chemical agents and crowd-control tactics that have impacted residents and bystanders.
- Residents and community members who have been directly affected, including those who’ve experienced violence or physical harm and who have bravely shared their testimony with the public.
These meetings reflect an ongoing effort by leaders at every level to provide accurate, timely information, address urgent needs, and push for meaningful accountability.
To ensure the community stays up to date, we will be providing regular updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. These updates will summarize the latest developments, share key takeaways from official briefings, and highlight resources available to residents. You can view the channel where we live-stream here.
Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Minnesota Sue DHS to Stop ICE
The Minneapolis delegation has been working with the Governor, the Attorney General and the City of Minneapolis, since the federal “Metro Surge” began to pursue every legal avenue we have within state and local authority to end this dangerous federal incursion on our state and our communities. Now, Minnesota, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul have sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and related agencies and officials, asking the court to end the unprecedented surge of DHS agents into the state and declare it unconstitutional and unlawful. They also ask the court for a temporary restraining order, citing the immediate harm the state and cities are facing.
The State and the cities seek an end to Operation Metro Surge and the deployments of thousands of DHS agents to Minnesota, as well as an end to the unlawful behaviors of DHS agents within the state, including but not limited to:
- using force against individuals peacefully engaging in constitutionally protected speech;
- arresting, threatening and using force against innocent bystanders;
- pointing firearms at individuals who pose no threat to DHS agents; and
- carrying out enforcement actions at sensitive locations like schools, churches, and hospitals.
When we return to session in February, I will be looking to take more legal steps to defend our constituents from future harm.
AG Ellison Launches Website to Combat ICE
Attorney General Keith Ellison launched a form on his website that Minnesotans can use to share information about the impacts of federal actions in Minnesota, including those of the DHS and ICE.
If you have had an interaction personally or have personally witnessed lawless ICE actions, please report it. These incident reports may be critical in supporting the Attorney General’s actions defending and enforcing Minnesota’s laws and defending the State of Minnesota against actions that violate the State’s rights under the Constitution and applicable federal law.
To submit a report, visit: ag.state.mn.us/Federal-Action/
Standing up for Childcare Workers
Hours after the killing of Renee Good and just a few miles away, ICE sent armed officers to a high school during dismissal, breaking car windows, tackling people, using chemical weapons, and handcuffing staff. That same day, a teacher at a Spanish immersion daycare, students and educators were traumatized when a worker was taken by ICE. Schools were closed Thursday and Friday - not because of snow, but because of violent ICE officers and the risk they pose to students.
First, let me be clear: ICE’s actions are making us less safe. They are traumatizing children, and they need to get out. ICE has no place in our schools.
I joined a press conference last weekend with parents and daycare providers to denounce this onslaught of threats and violence against them. Child care has now been made into a political football to bolster the careers of certain politicians and fringe Youtubers, with Trump now freezing the funding of the Child Care Assistance Program that more than 20,000 children across Minnesota rely on each month to access childcare. More than 4,000 childcare programs across the state serve children on Child Care Assistance. Trump and his sycophants are now kidnapping teachers and pepper-spraying peaceful bystanders. This isn’t about a headline, or just politics, these are people’s lives.
Field Congressional Hearing
Today at the Minnesota Capitol, there was a field congressional hearing covering ICE’s atrocities in Minnesota. This hearing highlighted the unprecedented and dangerous escalation of Trump’s obsession with retribution and intimidation. Now, Trump has threatened the Insurrection Act to give an excuse to occupy the state further.
We heard of federal agents shooting people, detaining U.S. citizens, and operating with no respect for our Constitution. We heard from mayors, legal experts, and citizens who endured hours in ICE custody, and we heard their cruel, and inhumane actions.
I’m so grateful for the Minnesotans who have defended our sovereignty.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out anytime if you need assistance or have questions at [email protected] or 651-297-7087.
In community,
Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura
Minnesota House of Representatives
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