Minnesota Senate Democratic Primary Grows Heated as Immigration Takes Center Stage

Two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota have put the spotlight on the candidates’ immigration positions in the state’s open Senate Democratic primary.

Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan were already in a heated contest for the open Democratic seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith. But their differences on immigration recently escalated into sharp, public attacks.

NOTUS interviewed both candidates last week following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. On Saturday a Border Patrol agent also shot and killed Alex Pretti. The shooting, captured on camera, has sparked a new wave of protests and questions about federal enforcement operations in the state.

“Minnesotans are paying attention to this issue because it is impacting their lives every single day, and we can have a secure border and immigration enforcement without abandoning due process or human dignity,” Flanagan told NOTUS. “Those values are not in conflict.”

Flanagan accuses Craig of shifting her immigration stance amid the situation in Minnesota, pointing to Craig’s vote for the Laken Riley Act last year, which was the first immigration-related policy win for President Donald Trump. The bill mandates federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants if they are charged with crimes such as theft, shoplifting and larceny, even if that individual was not convicted.

“This is not a political attack or an insult, and I’ve been raising this issue for a long time before Operation Metro Surge,” Flanagan said when asked about her back-and-forth with Craig. “Because I think, frankly, it’s hurting people. And Donald Trump did not make it a secret what he was going to do in the second term, right? This was not in the fine print. This was on bright red signs, all caps that said ‘mass deportations.’”

Craig, meanwhile, swiped back at Flanagan’s characterizations and argued the fight for Democrats should focus on pushing back on immigration enforcement actions in the state.

“I would love for the lieutenant governor to join me in standing up to the Trump administration and to [Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem,” said Craig. “I think the biggest difference is I’m actually doing something about it, which is performing my congressional duties of oversight … I’ve actually introduced articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem. ”

Craig added: “When I think about how Minnesotans feel about immigration, I think Minnesotans absolutely want a safe and secure border. They want us to know exactly who we’re letting in to our nation, but they sure as hell don’t want what they’re seeing out of Trump and Kristi Noem’s ICE.”

The Minnesota primary was already seen as an encapsulation of the split in the Democratic Party. After a nationwide wipeout in 2024, Democrats have been soul-searching for a party identity that helps them win back power in the 2026 midterms. The central tension within the party is the debate about whether a progressive ideology or a more centrist approach will appeal to voters.

The duo’s separate endorsements reflect their ideological differences: Craig has received endorsements from five Democratic senators, including moderates such as Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, among others. Craig also received the endorsement of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Flanagan, meanwhile, received endorsements from seven Democratic senators, largely on the more progressive end of the spectrum, including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, among others.

Before immigration issues took center stage in the state, Craig and Flanagan were emblematic of that divide. Craig is viewed as a moderate member of the Democratic Caucus. Flanagan openly identifies as progressive, telling NOTUS “this race is really what is also facing the party nationally.”

“The choice is between an institutional, corporate Democrat versus a progressive fighter who’s working on behalf of working families,” Flanagan said. “That’s what’s facing our party. And what I can tell you is that Minnesotans are sick and tired of folks who just are nibbling around the edges, or Democrats who are fighting from a defensive crouch.”

When asked about the perceived moderate-progressive split, Craig said “framing Democrats or any other politician in those terms doesn’t work anymore for voters,” noting her work on issues such as capping the cost of insulin, trying to ban congressional stock trading and pushing for campaign finance reform.

“I think people just want to know who you’re fighting for,” Craig said. “And I feel very confident that my record as a member of Congress, fighting for working folks in my district as well as the middle class, well positioned me to fight for folks across all of Minnesota.”

Neither candidate has outright embraced the marquee “abolish ICE slogan,” which has become a sort of litmus test in Democratic circles. Though Flanagan said she believes the U.S. needs immigration enforcement, she argued, “ICE is beyond fixing, and we need to start over.”

Craig also criticized the agency, especially under Trump’s rule.

Craig told NOTUS: “I don’t think that Donald Trump and Kristi Noem’s ICE can be reformed. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need border security and immigration enforcement in our country. It just means that we need Donald Trump and this administration gone.”

The Minnesota Democratic primary isn’t until August, and there are other political issues that will factor into the race. Democrats nationwide, including in Minnesota, are still hammering issues on health care and affordability. Craig also suggested that ongoing fraud investigations into the Minnesota state government, of which Flanagan is a top-ranking official, is “an issue that you’ll see Republicans continuing to raise.”

A new Republican entrant in the race, Michelle Tafoya, also increases the profile of the contest. Though Minnesota is broadly seen as a blue state, Republicans are feeling better about competing there with a high profile candidate. Tafoya, a former sports-news personality who identifies as “pro-choice,” is seen as one of the GOP’s best shots at making the race even remotely competitive.

The Senate map this cycle is mathematically difficult for Democrats, who would need to flip four seats with perfect defense in order to take back the majority. Right now, Senate Democrats only have two obvious pickup opportunities in Maine and North Carolina.

“I thought from the start she would be the strongest Republican that they could send up against us … I don’t think anyone can take Minnesota for granted,” Craig said about Tafoya.

Conversations on immigration are likely to linger as Senate Democrats said they will not vote for remaining government funding bills this week unless Department of Homeland Security funding is excluded GOP leadership said they will not do that, pointing to a potential partial government shutdown after Jan. 30, with demands for immigration-enforcement reform as the central issue.

Craig on Monday wrote on X that “this is the time for Senate Dems to hold the line and withhold funding from this lawless agency. Enough is enough. Shut DHS down.”

Flanagan in a statement on Monday said, “we cannot give DHS one more penny while it refuses to remove ICE from our communities and as these masked, lawless agents continue to wreak havoc on our state … I’m thankful that Senate Democrats are standing up and refusing to rubber stamp a lawless DHS.”

Keeping immigration front and center, Trump forecasts a prolonged presence in Minnesota by Monday that he will be send his border czar, Tom Homan, to the state.

Trump told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that his administration will be “reviewing everything” in Minnesota “and will come out with a determination.”