Minneapolis and Saint Paul delegations to Minnesota Senate stand in support of lawsuit to stop unlawful ICE activity

St. Paul, Minn. – Today, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, announced a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies and officials to declare the surge of DHS agents in Minnesota unconstitutional and unlawful and asking for an end to the agency’s activity in the state. The Minneapolis and St. Paul delegations of the Minnesota Senate release the following statement:

Today, we stand firmly in support of Attorney General Ellison’s lawsuit to bring an end to “Operation Metro Surge” to protect the constitutional rights and safety of all Minnesotans.

The unprecedented deployment of thousands of masked and armed ICE agents into our communities has caused real and lasting harm, leaving Renee Nicole Good dead and rapidly increasing numbers of Minnesotans injured and traumatized.

Families are living in fear, schools have been forced into lockdown and closures, small businesses have shuttered their doors, and local law enforcement stretched thin. Minnesotans are being illegally targeted based on race, language, or where they live, regardless of whether they are citizens or not. This reckless abuse of federal power violates the constitution and state and federal laws, undermines public safety, and has little to nothing to do with immigration enforcement. Minnesota should not be terrorized for our diversity, our values or our votes.

Minnesotans deserve safety, dignity, and the full protection of the law. We strongly support Attorney General Ellison and our mayors taking action to defend our state’s sovereignty, uphold the constitution, and put an end to illegal actions and this federal overreach. We will continue to stand with our neighbors, and state and local leaders in demanding accountability and justice.

The Minneapolis Delegation to the Minnesota Senate includes: Senate President Bobby Joe Champion (DFL – SD59), Senators Scott Dibble (DFL – SD61), Doron Clark (DFL – SD60), Omar Fateh (DFL – SD62), and Zaynab Mohamed (DFL – SD63), and Senator Melissa H. Wiklund (DFL – SD51).

The Saint Paul Delegation to the Minnesota Senate includes: Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL – SD64), Senators Sandy Pappas (DFL – SD65), Clare Oumou Verbeten (DFL – SD66), Foung Hawj (DFL – SD67).

Salena Koster
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Erin Murphy represents Senate District 64, which includes portions of the Saint Paul community.

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Senator Bobby Joe Champion
Senate President Senate District 59
Bobby Joe Champion represents District 59, which includes portions of downtown and north Minneapolis in Hennepin County. He is also an attorney.

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Senator Scott Dibble
Senate President Senate District 61
Scott Dibble represents District 61, which includes portions of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County.

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Senate President Senate District 62
Omar Fateh represents Senate District 62, which covers the community of South Minneapolis.

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Senate President Senate District 63
Senator Zaynab Mohamed represents Senate District 63 which includes Minneapolis - Neighborhoods: Longfellow, Nokomis, parts of Powderhorn and Southwest. She is vice chair of the Jobs and Economic Development Committee, and serves on the Capital Investment Committee, Finance Committee, and the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee.
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Senator Melissa Wiklund
Senate President Senate District 51
Melissa Wiklund represents District 51, which includes Richfield, Eastern Bloomington, and Minneapolis: parts of Nokomis neighborhood. Senator Wiklund is Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and serves on the Commerce and Consumer Protection, Finance, and Human Services Committees.

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Senator Foung Hawj
Senate President Senate District 67
Senator Foung Hawj is an Assistant Majority Leader for the Senate DFL Caucus. He is chair of the Environment, and Climate and Legacy Committee and serves on the Jobs and Economic Development Committee and Transportation Committee. He also Co-Chairs the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) and serves on the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.

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Assistant Leader Senate District 66
Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten represents Senate District 66 which includes Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Roseville, and St. Paul. She is vice chair of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, and serves on the Education Finance Committee, Higher Education Committee, and the Labor Committee.

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Senator Sandy Pappas
Assistant Leader Senate District 65
Sandy Pappas represents District 65, which includes portions of St. Paul and West St. Paul.

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