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Dear Neighbors, 

This is not the newsletter I wanted to be sharing with you in the new year. I’d rather be talking about the success of Minnesota’s new Paid Leave program, the laws that went into effect on January 1st, or updates pertaining to the 2026 Legislative Session that begins in February. Instead, we need to talk about the ongoing assault on our civil liberties being conducted by ICE, other federal agents, and the Trump administration. 

The Trump administration has long since abandoned the notion that their actions in our state are actually about immigration or public safety. Rampant and violent targeting of Constitutional Legal Observers and the President's own words show what this about: reckoning and retribution. 

DHS, ICE, and CBP have been documented using unlawful force in hundreds of incidents across our state. From pepper-spraying a baby, to kneeling on a pregnant woman, to attacking peaceful protesters, to throwing a flashbang grenade into a family car filled with children, to unlivable conditions in ICE facilities - the list is nearly endless as to why these thugs have no place in our state or in law enforcement.

If your rights have been violated by federal immigration agents, as we have seen happen with increased regularity in recent days, please let the Minnesota Attorney General's Office know about it.

Attorney General Keith Ellison now has a website to report and compile these violations we’ve seen from ICE officers in our community. 

I have seen with my own eyes ICE arrest a mother in the middle of a busy road with her child in the backseat of her car. Though she was a legal permanent resident, they arrested her and left the child abandoned in the car in the middle of the road. This is but one of hundreds of examples of why the federal actions in our state are about anything but immigration enforcement. 

I encourage everyone to support their neighbors and exercise their First Amendment Rights through peaceful protest. With the courage, determination, and compassion that we as Minnesotans share, I know we will make it through this awful time.

When we do, we will redress the harm done to our great state and its people. Accountability for harm caused - you have told me this is what you want. From the officer who killed Renee Good, to the agents who recklessly endangered a child in the street, to the President who sought to terrorize our state: accountability.

You have my word I will do everything in my power as a legislator to seek that accountability.

Ideally, no one would have their rights violated by ICE, but I’m thankful the AG’s office has this avenue for those who have been impacted. Should you have your own interaction with ICE or other federal officers, it’s imperative that you know your rights and what resources are available to you - I’ve compiled some helpful links below:

• Immigration Defense Network - Hotline for ICE sightings.
• Immigration Law Center - Crisis Line.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - Know your rights information
• Immigration Legal Resource Center - Red Cards - Cards you can print to keep so that you know your rights.

My colleagues in the Senate DFL have put together a powerful and practical immigration resource toolkit. In the House, we have also compiled immigration resources, and they are available for our neighbors in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. 

On top of everything else, I want to share how incredibly proud I am of our community. I have seen neighbors look out for each other time and again, refusing to break under the immense pressure being applied to our communities. You’re what makes this work worthwhile. 

Please stay safe out there, and please let me know if there’s any way I can help you and your loved ones during this time. You can reach me at [email protected] or 651-296-7153. 

In Solidarity,

David Gottfried

State Representative

House District 40B

State Representative David Gottfried

5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

Phone: 651-297-8388
Email: [email protected] (replies to this newsletter are not monitored).
Website
Legislative Assistant: Isabel Anderson, 651-296-5999