ST. PAUL, Minn. — As Minnesota’s legislative session begins Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers are pushing to limit the authority of federal immigration enforcement agents within state borders, while their Republican counterparts plan to concentrate on eliminating fraud in government-funded programs that President Donald Trump referenced when defending recent immigration operations.
According to White House border czar Tom Homan, over 1,000 federal officers have already departed the Minneapolis-St. Paul region this past weekend, with hundreds more expected to leave soon. However, the political consequences of these enforcement actions will continue to shape discussions at the state capitol throughout the session, which extends into late May.
Passing meaningful legislation may prove challenging given the legislature’s narrow partisan divide. Republicans control the House with a tied chamber and Republican speaker, while Democrats maintain just a single-seat advantage in the Senate. This means any bill requires support from both parties to advance. Adding complexity, this year brings elections for all 201 legislative positions, and House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who is seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination, hopes to secure Trump’s backing.
“There are definitely going to be priorities on both sides of the aisle. … But when it comes right down to it, we need to have bipartisan votes to move bills through the committees and get the work done for Minnesotans,” Demuth told reporters Monday.
Enhanced security measures are now in place at the capitol following last summer’s tragic assassination of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her spouse. All visitors must now pass through weapons detection screening.
Democratic Governor Tim Walz announced a $10 million assistance package last week to help small businesses that suffered customer and employee losses during the federal enforcement operations, with additional aid proposals potentially forthcoming.
Prior to the session’s start, Democratic legislators in both chambers introduced eleven separate bills designed to address what they view as federal immigration officers’ most problematic actions during the recent surge.
The proposed measures would prohibit federal agents from entering schools, daycare facilities, medical centers, and universities. Additional provisions would ban federal officers from concealing their faces with masks while mandating clearly visible identification. The legislation would also require federal authorities to include state investigators in probes of officer-involved shootings, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. State officials remain excluded from these investigations, with the FBI formally notifying Minnesota Monday that it will not provide information or evidence from the Pretti death investigation.
House Democratic leader Zack Stephenson acknowledged they don’t anticipate backing from Republican leadership but hope individual GOP members might cross party lines.
“What we’ve seen these last six weeks has been so exceptional, so damaging, that I don’t know how you can be human and not respond to it,” Stephenson said. “But even if it’s not that, we also know it’s an election year and voters are watching, and voters will hold people accountable if they don’t stand up to this administration.”
Stephenson recognized that any state-imposed limitations on federal law enforcement would likely face court challenges.
“But some things are worth fighting for,” Stephenson added. “And if we’re not going to fight for this, what are we doing here?”
Republicans show minimal interest in confronting federal authorities and prefer redirecting attention toward anti-fraud efforts.
“Minnesotans want our state and local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” said Rep. Harry Niska, the House’s second-ranking Republican.
A primary Republican anti-fraud goal involves establishing an independent Office of Inspector General to investigate and prevent public fund misuse. The Senate approved similar legislation last year with bipartisan support in a 60-7 vote. House Democratic leadership prevented a floor vote at the previous session’s conclusion, but the proposal returns this year.
Republicans also seek greater accountability measures for agencies and officials who allow fraud to occur under their oversight.
