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- By Levi Rickert
Native Vote 2026. In response to Thursday’s announcement by White House border czar Tom Homan that the controversial immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota — officially called Operation Metro Surge — will be brought to a close, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe) said the decision is just an initial move toward justice for Minnesota.
Flanagan said that the agency needs deep reform because it has acted “outside the law.”
She also stressed that the federal government has work to do to rebuild trust and address the harm done, and she pledged to continue fighting for accountability and justice for people affected by the operation.
“I’m relieved that this violent paramilitary force will be removed from our streets, but I won’t believe it until they're actually gone. Minnesotans stood together against this chaos and cruelty. We never gave up on our neighbors,” Flanagan said in a statement sent to Native News Online.
“But I will never — EVER — forget nor forgive the fear, violence, and chaos the federal government has laid on our doorstep. ICE has killed two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and harmed so many more. Our children, like little Liam and Chloe, have been targeted and traumatized. I will never forget the terrified looks on their faces. Our schools, our small businesses, and our churches have been targeted, closed, and harmed forever.
“This is the first step in many to truly get justice for Minnesota. We must rip apart this agency that operates outside the law. The government must restore and repair what’s been broken. Minnesotans deserve justice and accountability, and I won’t stop until we get it,” she continued.
Flanagan is a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by the retirement of Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.
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