Four candidates for a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat participated in a Wednesday afternoon forum to discuss issues facing Minnesota. The event was hosted by Minnesota Farmfest.
The four participants were DFL Congresswoman Angie Craig, DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Republican Michele Tafoya, and Republican Royce White. Two other Republicans, Tom Weiler and Adam Schwarze, did not register enough support in the polls to participate.
During the debate, candidates discussed immigration and labor force issues facing the state’s agriculture economy. Craig described labor as one of the “top issues, if not the number one issue,” when she talks to farmers.
In her comments, Craig voiced support for expanding the H-2A visa program which allows for migrant laborers to work in America’s agriculture industry. The four-term member of Congress also noted that 40% of farm workers in the United States are illegal aliens.
Craig went on to voice support for a pathway to legal status for immigrant farm laborers who have obeyed the law and said, “We’ve gotta stop attacking the immigrant communities across Minnesota and across America.”
Flanagan, who is running against Craig in the DFL U.S. Senate primary, took a more liberal approach, calling for a pathway to citizenship.
“I think we can have an immigration system where we have secure borders, but we [can] have an immigration system that is grounded in safety, and dignity, and humanity, and a pathway to citizenship for folks who have been here, who are law-abiding citizens,” she said
Flanagan also expressed support for H-2A visas and said farm laborers are not just workers but are members of their local communities. Craig applauded after Flanagan concluded her remarks.
On the GOP side, Tafoya said, “The far-left tries to give you a false choice. They say, ‘If you want secure borders, then we can’t have any workers. It’s one or the other.’ That’s false.”
Tafoya told the gathered Farmfest crowd that she does not support amnesty, but does support making “conservative improvements” to the H-2A visa program “so that workers can be here for a period of time and then go back and then re-up that authorization.”
“Farmers need workers. There’s no doubt about that,” she added. “Our nation also needs secure borders and laws and there’s no doubt about that. And it is not a human right to cross into this country illegally and take advantage of our systems.”
After Tafoya concluded her remarks, White, who is running against Tafoya in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, said, “By the way, that is amnesty.”
Tafoya responded, saying, “No, it’s not.”
“[A] pathway for people who came into this country illegally to citizenship is amnesty,” White said. Despite White’s comments, Tafoya did not say she supported a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.
“If you don’t have a border, you don’t have a country. The border is not restored until the 20 million foreign invaders that were let into this country intentionally are deported — every last one of them,” White said. “Mass deportations! Mass deportations!”
White went on to say that China would not put up with foreigners crossing its borders illegally and demanding free social services.
Other topics covered at the forum included legislation to establish year-round E15 sales and tariffs. Craig and Flanagan were particularly critical of how the Trump administration’s tariffs and the ongoing war in Iran have impacted prices for farmers.
Meanwhile, Tafoya said some tariffs can be helpful tools to bring trading partners to the table. Additionally, she voiced support for providing farmers with assistance to get through economic disruptions that occur as a result of tariffs.
Tafoya also praised the Trump administration, saying it has locked in 18 new trade deals while the Biden administration secured no new trade deals during its time in power. She said international trade agreements would help farmers in the long-term.
Additionally, Craig, Flanagan, and Tafoya all expressed support for year-round E15 sales.
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.
