Minnesota DFL lawmakers call on GOP to stand against federal immigration actions

A day before the start of the 2026 legislative session, Minnesota Democrats gathered at the State Capitol on Presidents Day to urge their Republican colleagues to stand against federal immigration actions, and what they call President Trump's "abuse of power."

DFL Party members were joined by some Minnesotans who they say "have been harmed" by the actions of federal immigration officers during Operation Metro Surge, including some Republican constituents.

"This has brought generational devastation"

Sen. Erin Maye Quade said the surge has not ended despite border czar Tom Homan's claim last week.

"We are still having our neighbors kidnapped. We are still having observers being aggressively targeted and people being detained. This has brought generational devastation. This is something that Trump and Republicans have brought because Republicans in Minnesota will not stand up to him," Maye Quade said. "Despite the messaging of the drawdown, this is not over."

Maye Quade noted that the surge, which the White House says resulted in around 4,000 arrests, was just one element of what Mr. Trump himself announced on his Truth Social platform as "a day of reckoning and retribution" against the state which voted against him in three elections, and whose governor repeatedly criticized while running on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2024.

"These armed, lawless agents are just the armed version of the siege that Minnesota has been under for over a year, gutting our public health departments, withholding funding for child care in our public schools, removing children's cancer research dollars, gutting higher education, rural hospital funds — the list goes on and on," she said. "What Minnesota has experienced is an economic blockade, as our workers have been kidnapped, less people to work in restaurants and stores, build houses. Our economy is close to coming to a standstill."

"An affront to humanity"

Minnesota restaurateur JD Delgado spoke about his firsthand experience with the economic calamity from the surge, and his own run-in with federal officers.

"At a gas station, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE agent detained me. After verifying my citizenship, I remained here for 30 minutes, during which I experienced profound emotional distress," Delgado said. "I had my rights infringed upon due to my skin color and Mexican heritage, something I never thought would happen in the United States of America. The feeling is indescribable."

Delgado called the situation in Minnesota "an affront to humanity," and called on his Republican House representative to stand up.

"If my representative, Jon Koznick, cares about me, my local business or my constitutional rights, I'm asking him to support these common sense proposals that protect us from reckless and lawless masked federal agents," Delgado said. "It's hard to share these stories, but if these stories can help bring change, I want to share them."

"This should not be a political issue"

Sarah Lechowich, who owns and operates Cottage Grove-based True North Roofing, urged the same from her Republican representative, Wayne Johnson.

"We had to stop our projects because we could not guarantee the safety of our workers. These are folks who have earned legal status. They've worked hard, they've contributed. They are essential to our company and to our community. Yet, what we are seeing sends a deeply troubling message that who you are and how you look can matter more than your rights," Lechowich said. "Minnesotans deserve to see their elected officials do everything possible to protect constitutional rights. Our homes and our businesses and our neighbors, this should not be a political issue."

"The secret police in the state of Minnesota"

Rep. Leigh Finke said she's sponsoring two bills in the upcoming legislative session "targeting the actions of the secret police in the state of Minnesota."

"The first requires all law enforcement at all levels not to wear masks while on duty, with some specific exemptions for health and public safety. The second will require all vehicles intended to detain human individuals to be marked law enforcement vehicles, and have safety mechanisms in them for the safe transportation of people," Finke said. "These are easy policies to understand and get behind. We should be able to go into the House and get not just the one vote we need to pass them, but countless Republican votes to support these."

Finke further urged her fellow House members to stand in solidarity against authoritarianism.

"The Trump administration will be swept into the dustbin of despots and dictators that have come before countless times, but the Minnesota GOP has a chance not to be swept into that dustbin. They still do," she said.

The GOP's "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde" dilemma

Rep. Zack Stephenson closed out the news conference by pinpointing what he calls the "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde" phenomenon among his Republican colleagues.

"When you're behind closed doors, they're willing to tell you that they think that what's happening isn't acceptable and unreasonable. The lights come on, the cameras turn on, and we see an entirely different perspective," Stephenson said.

Stephenson also pushed back at a reporter's question about whether he, and his Democratic peers, would take up the Trump administration's requests for further cooperation in removing undocumented criminals, calling it "a red herring."

"ICE has arrested 4,000-plus people in Minnesota. They've only identified about 200 with criminal records, so the vast majority of people who have been arrested in Minnesota have never had any interaction with local law enforcement, don't have a criminal record," he said." It's a nonfactor."

WCCO has reached out to both the state House and Senate GOP caucuses for comment.

The DFL event came one day after White House border czar Tom Homan announced on CBS News' "Meet the Press" that around 1,000 immigration officers have left Minnesota since he announced the operation's end last week. He also said several hundred more are expected to leave in the coming days.