Just like many of you, I’m enraged by all the recent horrific scenes of federal agents terrorizing our neighborhoods, tearing families apart, and kidnapping our neighbors. After the chaotic and volatile ICE raid at Brotex in Saint Paul, I was proud to join the Immigrant Defense Network, local community, my colleagues: Mayor Melvin Carter; 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.
Within a week, our neighbors on the Eastside were brutally assaulted for demonstrating their constitutional right to protest. I witnessed firsthand the militarized approach of the Saint Paul Police and their involvement with an ICE operation in our city. I spoke with MPR, expressing my concerns regarding their actions, and I continue to demand transparency and answers from the City of Saint Paul. Our communities deserve to know the truth and why the people who swear an oath to protect them would shoot them with munitions and teargas for trying to protect their neighbor.
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.
ICE operations and presence are now even more prevalent in our neighborhoods as Trump targets Somali communities in our state, particularly in the Twin Cities. At this point, it is not new to us that Trump is a racist and xenophobic. He deflects and sows' chaos, panic, and confusion to distract from his failed policies, awful approval ratings, and cracking MAGA base. While he’s making billionaires richer at the expense of working Americans he’s scapegoating vulnerable communities as political theatre.
He can spew his hate and lies but Minnesotans know who we are and we love our neighbors. We stand up for one another, we help take care of each other's kids, we help shovel our sidewalks, and we sure as hell will fight back against Trump’s federal goons to protect each other from violence and harm.
Every person in America has constitutional rights, and it’s important now more than ever to know them and exercise them appropriately.
Here are some local resources being offered in our Twin Cities communities.
Know Your Rights: Upcoming Trainings
 My colleagues in the Senate DFL have put together a powerful and practical immigration resource toolkit. Please share within loved ones, friends, and those who you think may benefit from the information. The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota is also providing legal support to Minnesotans who are detained by ICE.
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.
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.
As a community, I know we will keep standing together and using our shared values to defend and protect our immigrant neighbors. While the fight seems uphill, we will do as we have always done, show up, arm-in-arm.
Please continue to reach out to my office for information and tools you need to help protect yourself and our neighbors. We have to keep strategizing and working with our community leaders and organizers to confront Trump and his fascist attempts to shatter our communities while he builds his ballroom and padding the pockets of billionaires and big corporations.
I value hearing from you, so call or email any time at [email protected] or call my office at 651-296-4224. You can also follow my official Facebook page.
Minnesota House of Representatives
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