A moment of silence for fatal shooting victims Renee Good and Alex Pretti was one of the few moments of agreement between Democrats and Republicans at a state Senate hearing Thursday afternoon.
“We are not broken. We are not tired,” said Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley. “We’re going to stand in the gap forever for our neighbors. But this must end, and then we must repair.”
Lawmakers heard from constitutional legal experts about what they call repeated violations of constitutional rights. Republicans say Democratic state and county leaders could help reduce the tension.
“Minnesota needs Governor Walz, Mayor Frey and other officials to work in good faith to de-escalate the situation here in Minnesota,” said Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen Minnesota Democrats advocate for sanctuary policies that prohibit cooperation with immigration authorities.”
Maye Quade offered another way to reduce tension. “We are not looking for ICE to just leave Minnesota. We need them to leave and never bring this to another state.”
There were dozens of lawmakers from 15 states at the hearing. Afterward, several said they were inspired by what they’ve witnessed in Minnesota.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is inspiring me and seeing how organized everyone is and how the leadership is working here,” said Rep. Justin J. Pearson, a Democrat from Tennessee, where an ICE crackdown is underway in Memphis.
“An idea I’m taking back to Memphis is we’re going to hold a public hearing.”
An Illinois state senator says her state also remains a major target of ICE, and residents of Chicago have also organized opposition to ICE. “Over 80 percent of Illinoisans say ICE needs to get the hell out, they need to get the hell out and stop the practices they’re doing in our communities,” said state Sen. Graciela Guzman, D-Illinois.
No action was taken at this information hearing, but some lawmakers are considering legislation that could impact future immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
