By Gloria Ogbonna
During Wednesday’s broadcast of MS NOW’s All In, Minnesota Senate candidate and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) delivered a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, arguing that they have led to widespread abuses, erosion of due process, and deadly consequences.
Flanagan pointed to what she described as a troubling start to President Donald Trump’s second term, saying the administration immediately signaled its direction on immigration with the passage of the Laken Riley Act.
Flanagan said the legislation, which was the first major vote of the new Trump administration, strips immigrants of due process protections and reflects a broader disregard for civil liberties. She criticized her political opponent, Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), for supporting the measure, noting that Craig not only voted for the Laken Riley Act but also publicly praised Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier in the year.
According to Flanagan, Craig’s support came at a time when ICE operations in Los Angeles were, in her words, “terrorizing that community.”
Expressing disbelief that some Americans expected a different approach from Trump’s second term, Flanagan remarked—“in the most Minnesotan way possible” that the administration’s actions were entirely predictable.
She argued that the early legislative priorities and enforcement tactics clearly demonstrate a continuation, and even an escalation, of hardline immigration policies that prioritize aggressive enforcement over human rights and community safety.
Flanagan went on to accuse ICE of engaging in sweeping and indiscriminate actions that harm both immigrants and American citizens. She alleged that ICE agents are detaining U.S. citizens, forcing people into unmarked vans, and arresting innocent bystanders with little regard for due process or accountability.
She emphasized that the situation has now turned deadly, saying that someone has been killed as a result of these actions.
“These are folks who are taking American citizens, detaining them, throwing people into the backs of vans, arresting innocent bystanders,” Flanagan said, adding that the consequences of such practices are no longer theoretical. She argued that ICE’s conduct is actively harming communities across the country and fostering fear rather than safety.
Flanagan also condemned what she described as misinformation coming from the highest levels of government. She accused President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of spreading lies to justify harsh enforcement measures and deflect responsibility for the human cost of their policies.
According to Flanagan, such rhetoric only deepens divisions and normalizes actions that undermine basic rights.
In closing, Flanagan framed the issue as not just an immigration debate, but a moral and constitutional one, insisting that ICE’s current practices are “hurting our people” and damaging the fabric of American communities.
Her comments underscored the growing intensity of the immigration debate as the 2026 Senate race in Minnesota begins to take shape.
Source Breitbart
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