Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are locked in a heated primary to decide who will represent the DFL in this year’s race for the U.S. Senate. So far, the contest between Craig and Flanagan has focused heavily on the Laken Riley Act.
Named for a Georgia college student killed by an illegal alien, the Laken Riley Act requires ICE to take custody of illegal aliens charged with certain crimes. The law also gives states the ability to sue the federal government for not enforcing immigration law.
The Laken Riley Act, which was passed by Congress with bipartisan support, was the first bill that President Donald Trump signed into law after he took office in 2025. Craig was the only Minnesota Democrat to join Republicans in voting for the law.
In the wake of Operation Metro Surge, Minnesota DFLers have repeatedly accused ICE of violating the law while engaging in immigration enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities; both Flanagan and Craig are among those who have been strongly critical of ICE’s actions.
Now, anti-ICE politics have become the most important issue to Minnesota Democrats, and Flanagan has seized on Craig’s past support for the Laken Riley Act.
Flanagan, who has said the Laken Riley Act “strips immigrants of due process” and “was the first step in giving Trump the green light to terrorize our communities,” has repeatedly attacked Craig for voting in favor of the law.
Even before Operation Metro Surge made national headlines, Flanagan was attacking Craig for her vote, telling the congresswoman, “you voted with Republicans to strip due process from immigrants” and “Minnesotans deserve better.”
In recent months, Craig has attempted to compensate for those attacks by criticizing ICE and calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment. However, Craig has not backed away from her vote on the Laken Riley Act — until yesterday, that is.
On Tuesday, Craig published an op-ed in the Minnesota Star Tribune titled: “I regret my vote on the Laken Riley Act.”
In her Tuesday op-ed, Craig said, “I never thought the Laken Riley Act was a perfect bill,” but “it’s also become clear that supporting any bill that gives ICE new authority in this administration was the wrong decision. And I regret my vote.”
The DFL congresswoman went on to say that her regret, and the events of the past few months, “have only strengthened my resolve to stand up to the Trump administration’s cruel immigration policies, call out spineless Republican colleagues and impeach [Noem].”
At present, Craig has a massive cash and fundraising advantage in the race for the DFL’s U.S. Senate nomination. However, Flanagan is beating Craig in primary polls commissioned by the Flanagan campaign, the Craig campaign, and national Republicans.
In May, Democrats will meet in Rochester to formally endorse a candidate for U.S. Senate. That endorsement, while impactful, does not decide who the Democratic nominee will be. Ultimately, the Aug. 11 state primary election will decide who gets the nomination.
With roughly three months before the DFL endorsing convention, Craig’s reversal has put her on the defensive in a race that will likely be decided by who has stronger appeal with the DFL’s far-left base.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
