Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan took aim at federal immigration policy over the weekend, criticizing the Laken Riley Act during a rally in Rochester led by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Speaking to a supportive crowd at the “Stop Oligarchy” event, Flanagan framed the law as part of a broader shift toward stricter immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.
Flanagan, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tina Smith, used the moment to connect national policy decisions to tensions closer to home. She pointed to the current political climate as something that had been building for some time, not a sudden development.
“We’ve got to zoom out for a second and we have to talk about how we got here, because this also wasn’t an accident,” she said. “Donald Trump ran on an agenda where we knew that ICE would be more powerful.”
She argued that the Laken Riley Act, introduced early in Trump’s second term, signaled a major expansion of immigration enforcement authority. According to Flanagan, the law allows for prolonged detention and weakens due process protections for immigrants, including families.
“It was the green light to give ICE unprecedented power to totally terrorize our communities,” she told the crowd.
Flanagan tied that argument to unrest in parts of Minnesota, particularly Minneapolis, saying she sees a direct link between federal policy and local tensions. In her remarks, she also referenced Alex Pretti and Renee Good, activists who were killed earlier this year in encounters involving law enforcement, using their names to underscore her concerns about the broader impact of immigration enforcement.
The issue has also become a point of division within the Democratic primary. Flanagan criticized Rep. Angie Craig, her main rival in the race, for supporting the Laken Riley Act when it came to a vote. Craig has since said she regrets that decision.
In a recent opinion piece, Craig explained that her vote reflected concerns she was hearing from constituents at the time, particularly around how immigration was being handled. She wrote that many in her district felt the Biden administration had mishandled the issue. However, she now believes enforcement efforts have gone too far, citing large-scale immigration raids that have unsettled communities in Minnesota.
The Rochester rally also featured Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, another prominent figure in state politics. Meanwhile, Sen. Tina Smith has reportedly thrown her support behind Flanagan as she looks to pass on her seat.
On the Republican side, the race is also taking shape, with former NBA player Royce White and former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya among those competing for the nomination.
