Congresswoman Betty McCollum Statement on Trump Administration Actions in Minnesota

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) issued the following statement on Tuesday:

“The record of incompetence and cruelty by the Trump administration and Department of Homeland Security Sec. Noem is growing each day. Minnesotans across the state are facing masked, unprofessional, untrained federal agents who are making people feel afraid in their own communities by wreaking havoc. 

“On Sunday, Americans were horrified to see ChongLy “Saly” Scott Thao, a Hmong elder and U.S. citizen, dragged out of his home in frigid Minnesota weather because ICE officers raided the wrong house. That same day, we learned that a Nicaraguan man arrested by ICE in Minnesota was taken to Camp East Montana in El Paso, where he died in ICE custody. Nasra Ahmed, a U.S. citizen and Saint Paul resident, bravely shared her story of two days in ICE detention during which her civil rights were repeatedly violated. Nasra was shackled by her wrists and ankles, injured by ICE agents, called a racial slur, and suffered a stress-induced seizure. 

“Today, Minnesota law enforcement leaders spoke out against the rampant racial profiling and civil rights abuses by unprofessional and undertrained federal agents. I stand with our law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe and earn the public’s trust. Their work is being undermined by unprofessional and undertrained federal agents. There is a right way to investigate and prosecute serious criminals. Sec. Noem and DHS agents are doing it the wrong way and only making our community more dangerous.  

“Elders and those with disabilities are being forced to go without their in-home health assistants that help them to lead lives of dignity, and for some to survive. It is unacceptable that our neighbors are afraid to leave their homes or go to work. Small businesses are closing their doors as they and their workers are being targeted based on the color of their skin. 

“How is DHS and ICE making Minnesota and our nation any safer? 

“The Trump administration must be held accountable for the damage being done every day in Minnesota.”