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I wish I could start my first update of 2026 highlighting Minnesota’s new Paid Leave program, the laws that went into effect on January 1st, or the legislation I’m hoping to bring forward this year to help working families in our district.
Instead, I need to address the terror and fear that the unconstitutional actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in our communities, and across the whole state, including the senseless killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent last week.
The tragic killing of Renee is another in a long line of tragedies we’ve had to endure as Minnesotans in the last 12 months, and it’s been preceded and followed by countless other instances of federal agents spreading fear, targeting our immigrant neighbors, using blatantly unconstitutional methods, and leaving our communities broken.
As many of you know, I’ve been working closely with our neighbors who have been affected by President Trump’s so-called “Metro Surge”, and I’ve seen firsthand the absolute devastation that ICE is bringing with them into our community but also the strength and resolve of our neighbors who are standing up for each other.
In the face of violence, excessive force, and rampant unlawful activity from ICE agents, Minnesotans aren’t taking the bait. People are volunteering, donating, and finding ways to protect and take care of each other. The overwhelming majority have protested peacefully. In nearly every case, the escalation of volatile situations has come from ICE agents’ behavior, not from Minnesotans. For the good of our state, ICE needs to leave Minnesota.
Fighting for Accountability
Renee should be alive today, spending time with her children, family, and friends. The rush of some in the Trump Administration to demonize and propagandize her, a mother, wife, and woman they didn’t know, and blame her for her own death, is absolutely reprehensible.
Minnesotans deserve a thorough, independent investigation we can trust, but the federal government is preventing Minnesota’s law enforcement officers from doing their jobs.
It’s common practice for agencies in a jurisdiction to share resources in the aftermath of such a high-profile and sensitive case, but Trump’s FBI has blocked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, made up of career law enforcement specialists, from accessing crucial evidence and information.
This will not get us closer to the truth and justice, far from it. I hope my colleagues across the aisle join us in calling for transparency and accountability in the investigation of Renee’s death and all other potential constitutional and legal overreaches.
President Trump’s stated goal of surging federal agents into Minnesota was to make us safer, but we’ve seen the opposite instead.
In the last week, federal agents have:
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Entered school property and tackled students, broke car windows, used chemical agents, and handcuffed staff.
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Left a six-year-old child alone in Burnsville after abducting his father as the child got off the school bus.
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Shattered the car window and abducted a widow from Burnsville, leaving three young children alone.
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Abducted a soldier and a U.S. citizen in Burnsville.
We must continue to defend our neighbors and stand up for our constitutional rights. Attorney General Keith Ellison is launching a form on his website that Minnesotans can use to share information about the impacts that federal actions in Minnesota, including those of the DHS and ICE.
If you have had an interaction personally or someone close to you, or that they have personally witnessed, please report it. These incident reports may be critical in supporting the Attorney General’s actions defending and enforcing Minnesota’s laws and defending the State of Minnesota against actions that violate the State’s rights under the Constitution and applicable federal law.
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Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at [email protected] or call (651) 296-4212.
For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these email legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Jess Hanson
State Representative
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