HELENA — A group of Democratic state lawmakers from Montana are traveling to Minnesota this week, as part of a multi-state effort to push back on what they consider the Trump administration’s “overreach” in that state.
“It may not be happening here; that's exactly the point, right?” said Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman. “All states should stand together when any state rights are being violated. That's our duty.”
Neumann is among the organizers of the effort, which is bringing state lawmakers from across the country to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul Thursday for a “Day of Solidarity.” It comes days after a federal officer shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
More than 50 lawmakers, including seven from Montana, are expected to be at the Capitol, where they will hold a news conference after a Minnesota Senate hearing on the impacts of the federal government’s ramped-up immigration enforcement. About the same number will participate remotely. Neumann said, overall, people from at least 30 states will be taking part.
Neumann said it isn’t that they don’t want laws enforced, but that they’re opposed to what they see as undisciplined and arbitrary actions by federal agents and a failure to respect local law enforcement.
“We want rule of law and law enforcement to work well and to be respected, and for local authorities and state authorities to feel like we can collaborate with the federal government in a way that's productive and that does not put our residents and citizens in harm's way,” she said.
Neumann said she sees this action as a way to stand up for states’ rights. She believes many people in Montana and across the country want to see immigration enforcement, but aren’t happy with the way U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies have been doing it.
“What we don't support, like I said, is masked, unidentified federal agents killing civilians,” she said.
