Trump’s immigration crackdown looms over Minnesota’s bruising Senate primary

In the streets surrounding a nondescript federal office building near Minneapolis' airport, a vocal opposition to President Donald Trump's administration took shape. Immigration agents, stationed at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building for months, faced opposition from protesters utilizing whistles and cellphone cameras. Tragically, two individuals lost their lives in the city during this period before Trump's administration backed off due to public pressure.

This historical context now serves as the backdrop for Minnesota's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The race pits establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig against the more progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The immigration debate adds another layer of division to a race that already reflects many of the left versus center debates that have unfolded nationwide this year.

Rep. Craig initially supported tighter enforcement measures following Trump's inauguration, but later expressed remorse after the surge of agents was deployed in Minneapolis. She subsequently backed a resolution condemning antisemitism in response to a 2025 firebombing in Boulder, Colorado, and praised law enforcement, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

These votes may prove to be some of the most contentious in Craig's eight-year tenure in Congress, and have been highlighted by Flanagan as she attempts to portray her rival as unwilling to challenge an unpopular administration in Washington.

"Her support for that resolution and her initial vote for tighter enforcement were when she lost my vote permanently," Bryce Bohne, a 40-year-old teacher and owner of an educational tourism company, stated. He is backing Flanagan in the race.