Minnesota legal professional common Keith Ellison on his state’s anti-ICE rebellion

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MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump is just not budging. On his tariffs. On his controversial deployment of federal immigration brokers. On his willingness to make use of the Justice Division to go after his political enemies. On his conflict towards blue cities.

Within the weeks after the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, administration officers have doubled down on feedback that laid blame with the sufferer and stonewalled native officers attempting to analyze the taking pictures. This week, the Justice Division opened felony investigations into a number of Minnesota Democrats, issuing subpoenas that allege they've impeded federal immigration priorities.

The result's a group on edge. 5 years after the killing of George Floyd made Minneapolis the middle of a world motion for racial justice and police reform, the eyes of the nation have returned to the Twin Cities. And whereas the foremost query could also be, “Simply how far is Donald Trump keen to go?” the strain marketing campaign from the president has additionally challenged the state’s Democratic elected officers, together with state Legal professional Normal Keith Ellison.

Ellison, a former Congress member and DNC vice chair, has served as legal professional common since 2019 — and he’s additionally a rumored candidate for the state’s Democratic nomination for governor. In an prolonged interview, I requested Ellison about his future in state politics, the playbook for pushing again on Trump, whether or not state Democrats have been gradual to analyze claims of social companies fraud, and whether or not the answer for ICE is to abolish it.

Right here’s what most struck me in our dialog.

The federal authorities is actively blocking investigation of Renee Good’s loss of life

Ellison confused an vital level: The Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division declined to open an investigation into the ICE officer who shot and killed protester Renee Good. They didn’t evaluation proof and determined to not pursue costs.

“Look, what occurred that day has been reviewed by tens of millions and tens of millions of People as a result of it was recorded on telephones,” US Deputy Legal professional Normal Todd Blanche said in an interview with Fox News . “The Division of Justice, our civil rights unit, we don’t simply exit and examine each time an officer is pressured to defend himself towards any person placing his life at risk.”

In the meantime, the FBI has seized vital proof from the scene — bullet casings, in addition to Good’s automobile, which may present the bullet trajectory — and gained’t share any of it with state and native prosecutors who need to pursue the case. In response to Ellison, the federal authorities is sitting on proof that would assist decide what occurred, and so they’re preserving it from the individuals attempting to get solutions for Good’s household.

Minneapolis officers aren’t obstructing ICE

One of many Trump administration’s core arguments is that Minneapolis is a “sanctuary metropolis” the place native officers actively block ICE from doing their jobs. Ellison was adamant: that’s simply not true, and the excellence issues.

Minneapolis has what’s known as a “ separation ordinance .” Ellison says that whereas state and native regulation enforcement don't block ICE from accessing jails, as another cities do, the ordinance implies that metropolis staff are below no statutory obligation to do it. Ellison argued that going past that might expose the state to authorized legal responsibility.

For instance, ICE can accumulate individuals with immigration detainers, Ellison mentioned. What Minnesota gained’t do is maintain somebody past what a court docket has ordered based mostly on their felony costs. For instance, if a decide says somebody charged with a DUI needs to be launched, the state releases them. If ICE needs to select them up for immigration violations, they’re free to take action — however Minnesota isn’t going to detain them on immigration costs.

Ellison in contrast the politics of the state of affairs to summer season 2020, when Republicans efficiently branded Democrats as supportive of the activist motion to “defund the police” even when most Democratic officers by no means embraced that slogan.

Ellison says Minnesota Democrats weren’t gradual on fraud investigations

This week on Fact Social, Trump argued that Minnesota Democrats should be requested about documented circumstances of social companies fraud within the Somali American group. Trump additional alleged that Minnesota Democrats had not correctly investigated these circumstances below state Democratic management, which was one in all his pretexts for sending in federal brokers.

In our interview, Ellison vehemently denied that Democrats slow-walked fraud circumstances amongst politically supportive communities. He mentioned Trump and the White Home have been unjustly focusing on a whole group for the felony actions of some. Once I talked about the “Feeding Our Future” scandal, the place a Minneapolis nonprofit conspired with a Somali restaurant to soak up greater than $200 million in federal cash, the legal professional common was indignant.

“This ICE surge is about fraud, however [Trump] is sending armed males with weapons, carrying masks,” Ellison mentioned. “He’s not sending accountants. He’s not sending forensic monetary investigators. He’s sending aggressive males with weapons. So that you gotta get the impression that we’re not likely speaking about fraud.”

Trump is severe concerning the Rebel Act – and is utilizing Minnesota as a take a look at case

Trump’s menace to invoke the Rebel Act is to be taken significantly. Ellison mentioned he and different state officers have been war-gaming responses since early 2024, making ready authorized challenges to what could be a rare assertion of federal energy.

Ellison additionally laid out simply precisely what the Rebel Act would imply in Minneapolis: active-duty federal troops patrolling the streets of an American metropolis, ostensibly to help ICE operations.

Ellison argued Trump resides out his marketing campaign promise for retribution towards political enemies. “I'm your retribution” isn’t only a marketing campaign slogan — it’s a governing philosophy. And Minnesota, with its massive Somali inhabitants, its progressive politics, its historical past of protest after George Floyd, makes the right goal to ship a message about what occurs while you resist this administration.