Last week, was chaotic in our community- and I am still reeling from the horrific scene that unfolded in our district and greatly impacted our immigrant neighbors. I joined the Immigrant Defense Network, local community, elected leaders such as Rep. Athena Hollins, Rep. Samakab Hussein, Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, Mayor-elect Kaohly Her, and over 200 of our neighbors to show our support for those impacted by the federal law enforcement action.
You can watch a recording of the vigil here.
The actions taken by ICE and other federal law enforcement were unnecessarily extreme, resulting in danger to protestors and folks using their constitutional rights to document federal law enforcement action and protect our neighbors. These unconstitutional federal actions are a reminder of why we must not give no quarter to ICE and must loudly oppose the Gestapo tactics they employ to abduct our neighbors and friends.
Reports have confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was present among other federal agencies. The action took place at a business, residents were present for a protest, and a clash between protestors and federal agents occurred. As we continue to seek answers and due process for those affected, I’ll continue to be in touch with community organizations, offering my support wherever I can.
We also know this won’t be the last time federal law enforcement and ICE come into our communities to cause fear and panic. As a member of the Saint Paul delegation, I signed onto this statement, reminding folks that you always have rights in situations like this.
Our communities deserve safety, dignity, and the freedom to work, live, and breathe without fear. Minnesota has always been, and will continue to be, a state home to communities of immigrants that strengthen and help our state thrive, no matter who occupies the White House.
To end the week, Trump made an egregious statement on revoking the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for our Somali Minnesotans. Not only does he not have the legal authority to terminate TPS for just one state, but his bigoted rhetoric also poses real threats and violence to all Minnesotans. Our Somali neighbors, like all our immigrant neighbors, deserve to live a life free from fear and persecution from this fascist regime.
As your representative, I will always stand with our community. I’ll never stop fighting to protect all of our neighbors, no matter where they come from or why they are here. I will continue to stand alongside community organizations, my colleagues in the legislature, our partners in local government, and most importantly, you, my constituents, as we continue to call out the cruelty of this federal government.
Fergus Falls, thank you for joining me and the Trans and Queer Minnesota Legislators Caucus at our town hall earlier last Monday.
It was a powerful reminder that when we come together to share our stories, we can rely on our collective power to fight back against the political scapegoating and anti-trans rhetoric bringing harm to our community. Let's keep fighting, stay safe!
Nov. 20 marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, a bittersweet day to mourn our trans siblings lost too soon and to collectively recommit to the fight for our lives. It’s an annual observance that honors the trans, Two-Spirit, intersex, and gender-expansive people whose lives were cut short in acts of transphobic, transmisogynistic, and racialized violence.
In a study by the Human Rights Campaign on the ‘Fatal Violence Against the Transgender and Gender-Expansive Community in 2024', 78% of victims were people of color, 56% were Black transgender women, 63% were killed with a gun, 42% of victims with a known killer were killed by a romantic/sexual partner, friend, or family member, 38% were misgendered or deadnamed by authorities or the press or are never categorized by authorities as Two Spirit, trans, or gender expansive at all.
I was proud to release the following statement alongside my colleagues in the Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus:
I was also honored to be invited to speak at the Trans Day of Remembrance observance at the State Capitol. Too many of our trans family—from Nex to Lira to Savannah—have been lost. We cannot afford to lose any more of our family members to anti-trans violence and bigotry. Trans people are magic, and as I’ve shared before, being trans saved my life. I love being trans, and our queer joy is an act of resistance. Together, we will create a future where our trans children can become trans adults and elders.
“Mourn for the Dead and Fight Like Hell for the Living.”
 I ended my day with our community at Queermunity, attending OutFront's Trans Day of Remembrance event. It was a beautiful evening of celebration and honor for the stolen lives of our trans siblings.
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