Minnesota Lieutenant Gov. Peggy Flanagan condemned the Laken Riley Act — legislation requiring the detention of certain illegal immigrants charged with theft-related crimes — criticizing the measure named after a young woman who was murdered by an illegal alien, as her own state faces ongoing federal investigations into large-scale fraud involving Somali migrants and taxpayer funds.
Flanagan posted on X: “The Laken Riley Act was the first step in giving Trump the green light to terrorize our communities.”
In a video accompanying her post, Flanagan stated, “Way back at the beginning of this second Trump administration, the very first vote that was taken under this Trump administration was for the Laken Riley Act, which strips immigrants of due process.”
She highlighted that some Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the legislation and singled out her U.S. Senate challenger. “My opponent Angie Craig was one of them,” she said, prompting boos from the audience. Flanagan continued, “She also voted for a resolution this summer that praised ICE,” to which the crowd responded, “Shame.”
The Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old nursing student murdered in 2024 by an illegal alien gang member, mandates the detention of illegal aliens arrested, charged, or convicted of theft-related offenses. The bill passed Congress with bipartisan support.
She added, “We get to tell the truth in this race. And the truth is that Minnesotans deserve better, our immigrant neighbors deserve better. So we’re going to keep showing up for each other. We’re not going to throw people under the bus if it’s politically expedient, because that is how authoritarianism reigns.”
The Minnesota lieutenant governor continuously voices opposition to Trump’s immigration policies. She has publicly stated her desire to “kick federal immigration officials out of Minnesota” and pledged support for immigrant and refugee communities, appearing in a 2025 video wearing a Muslim garment that covered her from head to toe. Addressing Somali migrants, she stated, “We’re with you, we’ve got your back … I will continue to stand with the Somali community, to be with you, and to do all I can to return the friendship and community that the Somali community has shown me.”
Flanagan’s comments come as her administration faces mounting scrutiny over a sprawling fraud scandal involving Somali-run organizations accused of stealing billions in taxpayer funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Justice has sent prosecutors to Minnesota, where nearly 100 individuals — overwhelmingly Somali immigrants — have been charged in connection with the alleged schemes, including the $250 million Feeding Our Future case. According to whistleblowers, hundreds of state employees who attempted to flag the abuse were silenced, threatened with termination, or blacklisted from future government work. In one instance, Flanagan reportedly dismissed these fraud concerns at a 2024 state conference, referring to the whistleblowers as “weirdos and losers sitting in their mother’s basement,” a remark that reportedly shocked the audience.