Democrats on the Minneapolis City Council do not want to immediately clear a homeless encampment populated by American Indians despite other Indian groups saying it is crime-ridden and urging the city to clean it up.
The city is set to clear a major homeless encampment next week, but on Thursday, eight Democrats on the city council asked Mayor Jacob Frey to delay the cleanup until February, the Star Tribune <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-plans-to-clear-homeless-encampment-week-but-city-council-members-want-delay-phillips/600325221/?refresh=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The homeless encampment, known as Camp Nenookaasi, has about 180 people and was set up by American Indian women in September after the city cleaned up a different encampment.
City officials say the encampment must be cleared due to public safety and health concerns. Residents who live nearby have complained about crime.
Organizers, however, as well as some council members say the camp is more organized than a typical homeless encampment.
&#8220;This is more controlled,&#8221; Councilman Jamal Osman said at a press conference on Thursday. Osman&#8217;s Ward 6 includes the encampment.
&#8220;We haven&#8217;t had a lot of incidents,&#8221; Osman said. &#8220;There will be more safety concerns if these 180 people go to the surrounding streets.&#8221;
Earlier this week, dozens of supporters of the encampment showed up at City Hall during a public hearing to oppose the cleanup.
Meanwhile, American Indian groups have been demanding the city close the encampment for months.
One of those demanding a cleanup is Ryan Salmon, interim chair of Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, which includes more than more than 30 native organizations including the Indian Health Board.
&#8220;Not only are crimes being committed regularly, but they are also being hidden from police with threats of and physical acts of violence, to those who would normally report,&#8221; Salmon wrote this month in a letter to the city demanding the camp be &#8220;closed immediately.&#8221;
The mayor&#8217;s office said they are still assessing the decision to clean up the encampment next week.
&#8220;These decisions are informed by leading experts from multiple city departments, and prioritize the safety of the people both in the encampment and in the surrounding neighborhood,&#8221; said a spokeswoman for the mayor.
&#8220;We are also listening to Native leaders who, in this case, have been demanding the City take this action for months,&#8221; she said.
The council members who requested to delay the encampment cleanup until February also said they do not want to keep the camp open indefinitely. The goal is to house the people living there, they said.
Homelessness has been a growing problem in the U.S. since the pandemic.
Cities on the West Coast in particular have struggling with a growing homeless population as well as spiking drug use.

Homeless people rally to end raids on encampments in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

American Indian Groups Demand Homeless Encampment Be Cleared, But Minneapolis Democrats Want To Delay

Crime

Drugs

Homeless

Homelessness

Minneapolis

Minnesota

The Minnesota Supreme Court <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-election-president-f6b72c94bb351c1b870d4884e54f6a75" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> dismissed a legal challenge from a left-wing group to block former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary ballot using a constitutional provision known as the “insurrection clause.”
The state’s high court dismissed the lawsuit brought by Free Speech For People, who <a href="https://freespeechforpeople.org/the-14point3-campaign/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allege</a> Trump &#8220;incited hundreds of violent insurrectionists to storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,&#8221; in a so-called effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The group turned to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies anyone from running for office who had previously taken an oath of office who then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
But the state’s high court blocked the group’s effort by reportedly ruling that the state law allows political parties to put anyone they want on a primary ballot.
“There is no state statute that prohibits a major political party from placing on the presidential nomination primary ballot, or sending delegates to the national convention supporting, a candidate who is ineligible to hold office,” Chief Justice Natalie Hudson ruled.
However, the court’s ruling only applies to the state’s primary ballot and left open the possibility that the plaintiffs could make another attempt to block Trump from appearing on the general election ballot in November 2024.
Free Speech For People has not yet publicly commented on the ruling.
Trump took to his social media platform on Wednesday, celebrating the court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit.
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“Ridiculous 14th Amendment lawsuit just thrown out by Minnesota Supreme Court,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111377205337385444" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Congratulations to all who fought this HOAX!”
In response to the ruling, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in part: &#8220;Today’s decision in Minnesota, like New Hampshire before it, is further validation of the Trump Campaign’s consistent argument that the 14th Amendment ballot challenges are nothing more than strategic, un-Constitutional attempts to interfere with the election by desperate Democrats who see the writing on the wall: President Trump is dominating the polls and has never been in a stronger position to end the failed Biden presidency next November.&#8221;
Efforts to remove Trump from state ballots in the next presidential election have been appearing in a series of lawsuits nationwide from critics of the leading Republican contender.
U.S. officials ratified the Amendment in 1868 in the aftermath of the Civil War during the Reconstruction Era, which was designed to represent a new birth of freedom for previously disenfranchised citizens, according to Cornell University’s Legal Information Institute.
Trump has criticized the lawsuits as “frivolous,” claiming that “radical Democrat dark money groups” fund the legal challenges to interfere with his attempt to retake the White House in 2025.
Trump’s attorneys have reportedly argued that the “insurrection clause” lacks power without Congressional review of how to apply it, noting that the U.S. Capitol breach doesn’t meet the definition of insurrection and that the former president only used his First Amendment right of freedom of speech.
His attorneys also pointed out that the clause does not apply to the office of the presidency because it’s not mentioned in the text.
Other groups in Michigan and Colorado have also brought similar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/removing-trump-from-2024-ballot-would-reinforce-voter-grievances-about-elections-ga-sec-of-state-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuits</a> against Trump. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to counter an attempt to bar him from the 2024 presidential ballot in Michigan.
Trump&#8217;s lawyers filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to counter an attempt to bar him from the 2024 presidential ballot in Michigan.
But Colorado became the first state last month to bring its challenge to trial under the constitutional measure — which has rarely been used over the last 150 years. A state judge reportedly scheduled closing arguments for next week.
Legal experts reportedly expect the issue to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 30: President Donald Trump talks to me

Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses ‘Insurrection Clause’ Challenge To Keep Trump Off State’s Primary Ballot: Report

Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses ‘Insurrection Clause’ Challenge To Keep Trump Off State's Primary Ballot

2024 Election

Constitution

Donald Trump

Elections

Fourteenth Amendment

Politics

Five <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota</a> police officers working “undercover” were shot and wounded on Thursday as a suspect was arrested and taken into custody.
The incident took place in Benton County, a county in east central Minnesota, as officers executed a search warrant. The officers, who are expected to survive, were members of the Sherburne County Drug Task Force. The suspected shooter has been identified by authorities as 64-year-old Karl Holmberg, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/5-officers-shot-benton-county-near-princeton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
According to Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck, the shooting took place as the officers were executing a search warrant in Glendorado Township, about 60 miles away from Minneapolis.
“Because all [the officers] were working in an undercover capacity I cannot provide their names,” Heck said, adding that three of the officers were from the Sherburne County Sheriff&#8217;s Office, one from the Princeton Police Department, and one from the Elk River Police Department.
Two of the officers were shot in their bullet proof vests while the others had gunshot wounds. The suspect was also wounded during the incident and taken to the hospital.
Heck said that the officers had arrived at a property in Glendorado around 7:00 a.m. and announced their arrival. He added that they were then fired at and returned fire. Holmberg reportedly surrendered after “several hours of negotiations,” according to Heck.
&#8220;Today five police officers were shot &amp; injured in Benton Co, near Princeton, MN. Please pray for the officers and their families as they undergo medical treatment. Today&#8217;s injuries once again illustrate the increased and grave danger posed to law enforcement &amp; communities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the responding officers, for answering the call in the face of danger and putting their lives on the line to help victims of crime and to keep the public safe,” the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association <a href="https://twitter.com/MNPoliceAssn/status/1712519138776682591" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
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Minnesota Governor <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1712544746017796112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Walz</a> commented on the shooting, saying that he was thankful no one was killed.
“Today there was a horrific incident in Benton County where five officers were shot. Thankfully no one was killed and the suspect is now in custody. My thoughts are with the officers as they recover, and we’re keeping in close touch with the local authorities,” Walz posted on X.

Police car

Five Cops Working ‘Undercover’ Shot In Minnesota Before Suspect Taken Into Custody

Five Cops Working 'Undercover' Shot In Minnesota Before Suspect Taken Into Custody

Police

Shooting

U.S.

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota</a> DFL Party official who championed defunding the police during the George Floyd riots has since changed her position after being violently attacked this week.
Shivanthi Sathanandan, the Second Vice Chairwoman for the DFL, posted an image of her bloodied face from the attack on Tuesday, explaining that she was carjacked at her home while her children were present.
&#8220;Four very young men, all carrying guns, beat me violently down to the ground in front of our kids,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shivanthi.sathanandan/posts/10161178673010477?ref=embed_post">wrote</a> in a Facebook post that included a photo she took of herself. &#8220;The young men held our neighbors up at gunpoint when they ran over and tried to help me. All in broad daylight.&#8221;
&#8220;Look at my face in the picture. This is the face of a mother who just had the s[***] beaten out of her. A mother whose only thought was, &#8216;let me run far enough and fight hard enough so that my kids have a chance to get away,'&#8221; she continued. &#8220;This is the face of a mother who just listened to her four year old daughter screaming non-stop, her 7 year old son wailing for someone to come help because bad guys are murdering his Mama in the back yard, her neighbors screaming in outrage&#8230; all while being beaten with guns and kicks and fists.&#8221;
She said that she has a broken leg, deep lacerations on her head, and bruising and cuts all over her body.
&#8220;And I have rage,&#8221; she said. &#8220;These men knew what they were doing. I have NO DOUBT they have done this before. Yet they are still on OUR STREETS. Killing mothers. Giving babies psychological trauma that a lifetime of therapy cannot erase. With no hesitation and no remorse.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m now part of the statistics. I wasn&#8217;t silent when I fought these men to save my life and my babies, and I won&#8217;t be silent now,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;We need to get illegal guns off of our streets, catch these young people who are running wild creating chaos across our city and HOLD THEM IN CUSTODY AND PROSECUTE THEM. PERIOD.&#8221;
&#8220;Look at my face. REMEMBER ME when you are thinking about supporting letting juveniles and young people out of custody to roam our streets instead of HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS,&#8221; she added.
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She then thanked law enforcement and declared: &#8220;These criminals will not win. We need to take back our city. And this will not be the last you hear from me about this.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Minneapolis, MN:
Carjackings continues to afflict the city; this week DFL 2nd Vice Chairwoman Shivanthi Sathanandan was violently attacked and carjacked in front of her children in the driveway of her MPLS home in broad daylight. 
She says she suffered a broken leg, deep… <a href="https://t.co/83b2RJuF0D">pic.twitter.com/83b2RJuF0D</a>
&mdash; Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) <a href="https://twitter.com/RebsBrannon/status/1699832567317332138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/07/anti-cop-minnesota-democratic-party-official-left-bloodied-in-violent-carjacking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> by the New York Post, Sathanandan called for defunding the police back in 2020.
&#8220;We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police department. Say it with me,&#8221; she wrote on Facebook at the time. &#8220;DISMANTLE The Minneapolis Police Department.&#8221;
In a separate post, she praised the Minneapolis School Board for pulling police officers out of the schools.
“MPD should have no place in our children’s schools,” she wrote.

Shivanthi Sathanandan

‘Defund The Police’ Democrat Gets Violently Attacked, Now Demands Holding Criminals ‘Accountable’

'Defund The Police' Democrat Gets Violently Attacked, Now Demands Holding Criminals 'Accountable'

Defund The Police

General

Law Enforcement

A security guard who went viral for singing along with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taylor-swift" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taylor Swift</a> song while working at her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concert</a> says he was fired for asking fans to take his photo with the star.
Calvin Denker, who worked for the security company BEST, went <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viral on TikTok</a> when a fan recorded him singing along to “Cruel Summer” at one of Swift’s Minneapolis shows in June, per <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12435881/Taylor-Swift-security-guard-fired-fans-photos.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>. 
Denker posted a reaction video to the clip where he explained handing out his phone number to fans in the front row, asking them to take his photo when Swift came near him and then text it to him. He admitted that he took the job partly because seeing Swift perform for free was his “goal.”
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@anmaloney/video/7248417098010004778" data-video-id="7248417098010004778">
<section><a title="@anmaloney" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@anmaloney?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@anmaloney</a> Security guard carried section A2! 🎶 @Taylor Swift @Taylor Nation <a title="taylorswift" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/taylorswift?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#taylorswift</a> <a title="erastour" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/erastour?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#erastour</a> <a title="tstheerastour" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tstheerastour?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#tstheerastour</a> <a title="minneapoliststheerastour" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/minneapoliststheerastour?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#minneapoliststheerastour</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Alisa Maloney" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7248417101998803755?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; Alisa Maloney</a></section>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
“After night one I was realizing how close Taylor was getting to me, so I really wanted to get a photo to document it,” Denker said of the experience. “So, I handed out these little pieces of paper that said I wasn&#8217;t allowed to have my phone out but if Taylor Swift comes right behind me, please take a photo of me and text it to my number.”
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Denker said on social media that this move resulted in his termination. 
“Long story short I was fired for it,” Denker said in a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@calvindenker/video/7268044014903987499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video update</a>. “My former security company said they had a rule against taking photos with any of the performers. The main issue that they had was with my follow-up video where I said that I handed out pieces of paper to ask to be sent any photos that I made my way into.”
“Above all else, I made sure that Taylor Swift was safe and all the fans had a good time. I was doing my job.”
“The HR woman who called me wasn&#8217;t able to articulate exactly what I did wrong,” Denker added.
Since the news of the incident, Denker has been offered other employment. 
&#8220;I have been extended the opportunities to work for several other security companies since the TikTok,&#8221; Denker <a href="https://themessenger.com/entertainment/fired-taylor-swift-security-guard-says-hes-been-offered-jobs-since-going-viral-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Messenger. &#8220;I might decide to take a job interview or two, but this security gig was always meant as my fun job in my free time, and I am a full-time software engineer.&#8221;

Taylor Swift

Security Guard Says He Got Fired For Asking Fans To Take His Photo With Taylor Swift While Working Concert

Entertainment

Music

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) will focus their resources on bringing in more non-white visitors to their state parks.
MDNR issued a renewed commitment to diversity following their latest quinquennial survey: the <a href="https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/reports/parks/2022-state-parks-visitor-study-summary.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 State Park Visitor Study</a>, released Tuesday. In a press release, MDNR Parks and Trails Director Ann Pierce said the state agency needed to do more for inclusivity, in reference to their data that only 11 percent more visitors weren’t white.
“The visitor study shows that Minnesota DNR is making progress toward our goal of inclusivity, though there’s still more work to do,” said Pierce. “We will continue our efforts to expand access to public lands for traditionally underserved communities and to welcome new visitors to outdoor recreation in state parks.”
The study reported an increase of non-white visitors from five percent in 2017 to 11 percent last year. The survey may or may not reflect an accurate demographic of state park visitors, since it relies on voluntary participants; MDNR pulled their data from 2,000 interviews last summer.
The study divided participants into two groups: white and BIPOC (short for Black, Indigenous, or People of Color). Biracial and multiracial individuals were classified as BIPOC, along with any participants who reported to be American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian or Asian American, Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Middle Eastern, North African, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.
According to the study, state park visitors were more likely to be white, high income, and more highly educated than the rest of the Minnesota population. The study also reported that the visitors they interviewed had expressed a desire to “decolonize signage” and input more Indigenous history and voices in park programming, as well as expressed concerns over potentially experiencing microaggressions and the lack of diversity during their visit.
The results of this latest study echo prior MDNR recommendations to increase the focus of resources on diversity.
In April 2020, the MDNR convened the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Task Force. In March 2021, the task force <a href="https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/outdoor-rec-taskforce/minnesota-outdoor-recreation-task-force-recommendations03-24-21-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> final recommendations that MDNR make diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) a greater focus. The task force claimed that diversity was an economic asset since more the state’s BIPOC and “gender identity” populations were growing, and claimed that the state was losing $16 billion GDP annually due to racial disparities, citing a <a href="https://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/MNT_032514.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2014 report</a> from PolicyLink and the University of Southern California (USC) Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE).
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<a href="https://www.policylink.org/about-us/equity-manifesto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PolicyLink</a> is a left-leaning California-based nonprofit that pulls in tens of millions annually ($83.4 million per their <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943297479/202213199349327871/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest</a> tax filing) and advocates for progressive causes, such as expanding the welfare state and government-controlled health care.
In the weeks leading up to the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death, MDNR <a href="https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/outdoor-adventure/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> a social media campaign encouraging DEI on public lands and waters. MDNR partnered with Share the Mic MN, one of the many racial justice activist campaigns that launched following Floyd’s death.
Share the Mic MN had black and brown women “share the mic,” i.e. take over the social media accounts of white “allies.” The Edina Community Foundation manages the campaign and serves as a partner, along with the U.S. Bank Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation, and Allianz.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Shout out to Jasmine at <a href="https://twitter.com/sharethemicmn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sharethemicmn</a> &#8212; excited to partner with you for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MyMNOutdoorAdventure?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MyMNOutdoorAdventure</a>! Tell YOUR story of diversity outdoors at <a href="https://t.co/pHqSRBcO6Q">https://t.co/pHqSRBcO6Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/wGxWRjm8py">pic.twitter.com/wGxWRjm8py</a>
— Minnesota DNR (@mndnr) <a href="https://twitter.com/mndnr/status/1393203932013514754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
MDNR also co-manages a collegiate career <a href="https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/careers/idec.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program</a>, Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers, that excludes white males. Only individuals who <a href="https://conservationcorps.org/programs/increasing-diversity-in-environmental-careers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identify</a> as women, BIPOC, and/or disabled are eligible. MNDR partners with the Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources to manage the program. 
In an interview earlier this week, the principal planner for MDNR Parks and Trails, Gratia Joice, <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/08/16/diversity-in-minnesota-state-park-use-increases-but-still-doesnt-reflect-state-demographics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Minnesota Public Radio that she and other state workers were encouraged by more non-white visitors frequenting their parks.
“This is something we were really excited to see,” said Joice. “The survey shows increasing diversity among state park visitors, specifically visitors of color, from five percent in 2017 to 11 percent in 2022.”
However, Joice also shared that MDNR is attempting to achieve parity between the population demographics and state park visitor demographics.
The Census Bureau <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/MN/PST045222" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> Minnesota’s white population (not Hispanic or Latino) at around 77.6 percent, black or African American at 7.6 percent, American Indian and Alaska Native at 1.4 percent, Asian at 5.5 percent, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander at .1 percent, biracial or multiracial at 2.8 percent, Hispanic or Latino at six percent.
Per MDNR’s classification of BIPOC, the benchmark for racial parity would be at or above 23.4 percent.
“While it is an improvement, there&#8217;s still work to be done,” said Joice.

Minnesota Park

Minnesota Dept Of Natural Resources Concerned With Bringing More Non-White Visitors To State Parks

Nature

Race

Every police officer, including the chief of police, has stepped down from the force in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota</a> town after they say complaints of low pay and long hours were left unresolved. 
Goodhue, a city about 65 miles southeast of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minneapolis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minneapolis</a> with just over 1,000 residents, could be without police officers by August 23. It has struggled to attract new police recruits and give competitive pay to officers. The nonpartisan mayor <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/entire-police-department-resigns-minnesota-town-leaves-mayor-blindsided-zero-applicants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> she was “blindsided” by the resignations and promised that the city would be protected. 
&#8220;I want to reiterate that we will have police coverage in the city of Goodhue,&#8221; Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck told Fox 9. &#8220;That is not an issue.&#8221;
Police Chief Josh Smith said the force had trouble getting anyone interested in police work. Smith, another full-time employee, and five part-time employees all announced their resignations last week.
“This has been three weeks now, we have zero applicants, and I have zero prospects,&#8221; Smith said in July. &#8220;I’ve called every PD around for the youngest guys out there, getting into the game. There&#8217;s nobody getting into the game.&#8221;
&#8220;Not that I&#8217;m leaving you guys, because I told you I&#8217;m in it,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/16/entire-goodhue-mn-police-department-resigns/70600991007/#:~:text=The%20town%20of%20Goodhue%2C%20Minnesota,Council%20meeting%20on%20Aug.%209." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a meeting on July 26. &#8220;But the harsh reality is, I don&#8217;t want to be the guy working 80 hours a week just running this PD, being on call 24 hours a day, which I already am, and leaving no time for my family.&#8221;
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Goodhue City Council raised Smith’s salary by $13,000 and the other officers by 5% this year. 
&#8220;Right now &#8230; trying to hire at $22 an hour, you&#8217;re never going to see another person again walk through those doors,&#8221; Smith said, <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/08/15/entire-police-force-in-goodhue-resigns-after-chief-announces-resignation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noting</a> that cities could frequently give more benefits and higher pay. 
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After all the officers leave, the town is set to contract with the Goodhue County Sheriff&#8217;s Office to provide law enforcement services. The police department in Morris, another Minnesota town, was <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2022/07/20/morris-minn-mayor-says-disbanding-police-was-toughest-decision-of-his-career" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disbanded</a> last year after it could not retain staffers. 
Police departments <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/point-of-no-return-police-leaving-nypd-at-record-breaking-pace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across the U.S.</a> have struggled to attract <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-suffering-officer-shortage-cant-find-recruits-people-dont-want-to-be-the-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruits</a> in urban and rural areas. The shortage of officers comes following a wave of anti-police sentiment after the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in 2020.

Officers standing with hands behind

Mayor ‘Blindsided’ After Entire Police Force Resigns In Minnesota Town

Derek Chauvin was tried in a Minneapolis courthouse surrounded by barbed wire, concrete block, two armored personnel carriers, and a squad of national guard troops, with <a href="https://www.startribune.com/chauvin-trial-cost-hennepin-county-3-7-million-for-security-other-expenses/600078744/." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of additional troops</a> stationed throughout Minneapolis, all of which were there for one reason — to quell a riot if the jury acquitted him.  
Would you want to be tried before a jury bracing for a riot if it acquitted you? No one would and the Bill of Rights Sixth Amendment guarantee to a “fair trial” should prevent such a spectacle. However, that did not happen in Derek Chauvin’s case. Chauvin is now seeking to have the Supreme Court find his trial violated the Sixth Amendment and order that Chauvin be re-tried in a community which would not break out into riots if the jury acquitted Chauvin.  
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died while Chauvin and three other Minneapolis police officers attempted to arrest him. Presumably everyone reading this article knows who Derek Chauvin is and what happened on May 25, 2020. As one juror testified, “you have to live in cave not to know what happened.” However, there are details of what happened that were not widely reported in the media. For instance, the Minneapolis Police Department trained its officers to use the restraint technique Derek Chauvin and the other officers used in restraining Floyd. Below is a photograph of the technique from the Minneapolis police training manual:
<div id="attachment_599557" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-599557" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-599557 size-medium" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Police-training-300x227.png" alt="" width="300" height="227" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Police-training-300x227.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Police-training.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Minneapolis Police Training Manual</div>
When Derek Chauvin’s attorney tried to introduce this photograph into evidence, the state objected arguing there was no evidence Chauvin was trained on this technique and the court sustained the objection. However, whether Chauvin was trained on this technique was irrelevant – the issue was whether the technique is an acceptable use of police technique to restrain a suspect and it is.  
Virtually the day after Floyd’s death, the slogan “Get off our necks” went viral creating the narrative that Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck with such force that Chauvin’s knee choked off Floyd’s trachea causing Floyd to die of suffocation. That narrative is false and the state admitted it at trial. The state’s medical expert – and Chauvin’s medical expert – agreed: Floyd died of a cardiac arrhythmia – his heart was beating so irregularly that he could not get sufficient blood pumping in his body. The state’s medical expert testified the cardiac arrhythmia was caused by “positional asphyxia” – the weight of Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s back, not neck – restricted Floyd’s chest from expanding sufficiently for Floyd to breathe in enough oxygen. However, whether police officers placing their weight on a suspect’s back while handcuffed can cause someone to die from positional asphyxia has been refuted by numerous academic studies. A 2017 study — ironically co-authored by a University of Minnesota professor — concluded that scientific studies have “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313205063_Positional_Compression_and_Restraint_Asphyxia_A_Brief_Review." target="_blank" rel="noopener">thoroughly debunked</a>” this theory.
Individuals die of positional asphyxia when they have 1,000 pounds on their back — not Derek Chauvin’s 145 pounds.  
So what else can cause a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-arrhythmia/symptoms-causes/syc-20350668." target="_blank" rel="noopener">cardiac arrhythmia</a>? High blood pressure, 75% &#8211; 90% blockage in coronary arteries, enlarged heart, recent use of fentanyl and methamphetamine, and stress — all of which the state’s medical experts admitted Floyd exhibited when he died.
In order to convict Derek Chauvin, the jury had to believe two expert opinions the state offered: (i) Chauvin used force unreasonable for a police officer in restraining Floyd and (ii) that this unreasonable force was a substantial cause in Floyd’s death. As set forth above, these expert opinions were heavily contested at trial. Despite this, the jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for only a day. This is why the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a trial before an impartial jury is so important.
The Supreme Court has held in numerous cases that excessive pre-trial publicity can violate a defendant’s right to a fair trial. The court’s concern is that the potential juror’s exposure to pre-trial publicity — and its effects in the community — will cause the jurors to conclude the defendant is guilty before the trial even begins. Usually, the trial court will be able to ferret out such bias by questioning the potential jurors prior to trial. However, the Supreme Court has held that in some cases the pre-trial publicity — and its effects in the community — will be so overwhelming that the court must presume that the jurors will be irrevocably prejudiced against the defendant. If the court finds such a presumption exists, the court must move the case to be tried in a location which has not suffered from the effects of the alleged crime or been exposed to such massive pre-trial publicity. This is what happened with Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh — his trial <a href="https://famous-trials.com/oklacity/730-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was moved</a> from Oklahoma City to Denver, Colorado.
It is unquestionable that Floyd’s death, the riots in Minneapolis, and the state charging Chauvin arguably generated the most <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/06/george-floyd-protests-generated-more-media-coverage-than-any-protest-50-years/." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pre-trial publicity</a> in American history. Everyone saw the viral video of Chauvin and the other officers using the restraint technique pictured above. Everyone knew of the riots in the Minneapolis metropolitan area which lasted for six days and caused over <a href="https://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-rebuilding-begins-with-donations-pressure-on-government/571075592/.">$500,000,000 in damage</a> — the second-worst riots in American history.
Media in the Minneapolis metropolitan area covered Floyd’s death and Chauvin literally every day from May 25, 2020, through the April 19, 2021, guilty verdict.  More importantly, the coverage continued the false “get off our neck” theme and demonized Derek Chauvin. Thus, all of the potential jurors examined for the Chauvin trial — 131 potential jurors — said that they had been exposed to this pre-trial publicity. Many potential jurors were removed because the pre-trial publicity caused such jurors to be prejudiced against Chauvin. Ultimately, despite exposure to this pre-trial publicity, the trial court seated 13 jurors to try Chauvin. 
The pre-trial publicity made it impossible for Chauvin to get a fair trial in Minneapolis. The Sixth Amendment required the trial be moved out of Minneapolis. However, that is not the principal problem. The principal problem is that the jurors knew that their own — and their family’s &#8211; personal safety was at risk if they acquitted Chauvin. Unlike the pre-trial publicity which the jurors read about the incident, the Chauvin jurors experienced the riots because they lived in the rioted communities. The rioters’ message was clear — <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/29/george-floyd." target="_blank" rel="noopener">convict Chauvin or else</a>.
As a result, the potential jurors and seated jurors expressed concerns for their personal security if they acquitted Chauvin. The state knew this threat was not theoretical. The state deployed soldiers – not police – soldiers to protect the courthouse during the entire trial and deployed soldiers throughout the city prior to the verdict. Moreover, the threats continued after the rioting ended. Prior to trial, “protestors” <a href="https://www.startribune.com/defense-attorney-in-george-floyd-case-renews-callto-move-trial-after-protester-arrests/572774111/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assaulted attorneys</a> representing the other officers after a pre-trial hearing.
During the trial, another police incident sparked another set of riots in a Minneapolis suburb, Brooklyn Center, leading to another deployment of soldiers to quell the riots. One of Chauvin’s jurors certainly experienced this second set of riots when she returned home in the evening from the Chauvin trial because she lived in Brooklyn Center. California Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) spoke to the Brooklyn Center rioters telling them to get “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/politics/maxine-waters-derek-chauvin-trial/index.html." target="_blank" rel="noopener">more confrontational</a>” if the jury acquitted Chauvin. One wonders how active rioters would interpret a lawmaker telling them to get more confrontational when they are already rioting.
Despite the fact that the court attempted to maintain the jurors’ anonymity during trial, one juror’s identity was exposed and he requested the court excuse him due to concerns for his safety. The court refused despite telling the juror “your concerns [with safety] are perfectly understandable. All of us on this case whose names are out in the public understand the concerns.”
The Sixth Amendment prohibits trying a criminal defendant before a jury who has such a personal stake in the outcome of trial – if you acquit, your community will be burned and your personal safety may be at risk. While the overwhelming pre-trial publicity justified moving Chauvin’s trial out of Minneapolis under the Sixth Amendment, the riots and threats of implicit and explicit violence to the jurors and the community they lived in demanded it.
William F. Mohrman is an attorney practicing in Minneapolis. Mr. Mohrman is representing Derek Chauvin on his appeal.  
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Derek Chauvin trial.

Why Derek Chauvin’s Trial Should Have Been Moved Out Of Minneapolis

Courts

Derek Chauvin

George Floyd

Readers Pass

Beginning this week, Minnesota teachers must now complete cultural competency training with a special focus on Native Americans.
Per Minnesota law, cultural competency results in <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/8710.0310/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledging</a> personal bias concerning 
“racial, cultural, and socioeconomic groups; American Indian and Alaskan native students; religion; systemic racism; gender identity, including transgender students; sexual orientation; language diversity; and individuals with disabilities and mental health concerns,” and how that bias impacts relationships with students, students’ families, and the school communities.
The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (<a href="https://mn.gov/pelsb/assets/TPM%2520Chapter%25201%2520(1)_tcm1113-473292.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PELSB</a>) first enacted a more general version of cultural competency training in 2020; in April, Native Americans and Alaskan natives were separated into their own category.
In order to pass the training, teachers must meet the <a href="https://mn.gov/pelsb/assets/Standards%2520of%2520Effective%2520Practice%2520(2)_tcm1113-572905.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Standards of Effective Practice</a>. This requires teachers to not only understand the various identities and beliefs of their students, but to affirm them and help them develop “positive social identities based on their membership in multiple groups in society.”
Teachers are further required to not only understand, but support students in the recognition of “dehumanizing biases, discrimination, prejudices, and structural inequities.” Additionally, teachers must demonstrate their respect for and responsiveness to the identities and beliefs of their students both verbally and nonverbally.
PELSB argued that since most teachers are white, they must come to terms with their implicit bias.
“[T]he predominantly white teacher workforce must be equipped to understand their own implicit bias and the unique lived experiences of all their students as a core requirement of teaching,” stated PELSB.
A cultural competency training can cost anywhere from $30 to $670 for two graduate credits.
PELSB’s Committee to Increase Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers approves who provides valid cultural competency training. The committee assumed the responsibility in January 2021.
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Current members of the committee are Angela Osuji, Reuben Moore, Jessa Cook, and Gift Saloka.
The cultural competency training changes didn’t pass without resistance throughout the public input period last year. One group, Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR) Twin Cities, <a href="https://www.fairforall.org/twin-cities/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2022/07/220606-FAIR-TC-Letter-in-Response-to-R4615_FINAL_signed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that cultural competence training results in divisiveness through a rejection of common culture and fairness in treatment.
“[This training] prescribes the segregation of students by group or cultural identity (commonly race or gender, but also many others throughout the proposed rule) and the subsequent incessant recognition and affirmation of such segregation,” stated FAIR Twin Cities. “Teachers should encourage each student to examine varying points of view rather than to reflexively conform to views attributed to that student’s groups or cultures.”
However, PELSB <a href="https://mn.gov/pelsb/assets/4615%2520-%2520Prehearing%2520Response%2520-%2520FINAL%2520(Not%2520Accessible)_tcm1113-538152.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended</a> the licensure requirement as necessary for teachers to foster trust with their students and, consequently, impart a proper education.
“[The] pedagogical knowledge of how to create positive learning environments and how to work with all types of learners is essential in fostering student learning,” stated PELSB.

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Minnesota Teachers Now Required To Pass Native American Cultural Competency Training

Education

Native Americans

Public Schools

Several <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota</a> cities are considering banning smoking marijuana in public ahead of the drug&#8217;s legalization next month.
On August 1, recreational marijuana will become legal across Minnesota.
In the meantime, at least six cities are considering making it a petty misdemeanor to smoke the drug in public places like parks or on sidewalks.
Inver Grove Heights, Apple Valley, Prior Lake, Duluth, Rochester, and Lakeville are all considering such ordinances.
Lakeville Mayor Luke Hellier worries that people smoking pot downtown could chill the growth his city has seen recently.
&#8220;We&#8217;re the seventh-largest city in the Twin Cities, the 30th fastest growing city in the country. So in my opinion, we&#8217;re doing something right,&#8221; Hellier <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minnesota-cities-consider-ban-smoking-marijuana-sidewalks-parks-drug-nears-legalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;The last thing I want is a nuisance of marijuana smoke or vaping in the downtown that could prevent people from wanting to come to these businesses,&#8221; he said.
The Lakeville mayor said an ordinance banning public pot smoking would operate on resident complaints.
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&#8220;A business would have to file a complaint, call the city or the police department, say, ‘Hey, someone&#8217;s smoking outside of my restaurant or out front of my business, and it&#8217;s causing a nuisance,’ and so then, we would come and cite that person,&#8221; Hellier said.
State Representative Zack Stephenson <a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/should-smoking-marijuana-be-allowed-on-sidewalks-in-parks-minnesota-cities-consider-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the new state law leaves it up to cities whether they want to restrict marijuana smoking in public places. He compared city ordinances that would ban such activity to rules banning public alcohol consumption.
A sponsor of the bill said the bill&#8217;s lack of certain public smoking restrictions was intentional.
&#8220;We wanted to put as few restrictions on it as we could, understanding that cities could do more,&#8221; said state Senator Lindsey Port, who sponsored the legalization bill in the state Senate.
Supporters of public weed smoking bans have pointed out that certain situations would be difficult to navigate without a ban.
&#8220;Nobody wants to have their kids at a park with a group of people smoking weed right next to you,&#8221; Jake Willenbring, an employee at a Lakeville CBD store, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/several-minnesota-cities-plan-to-adopt-public-marijuana-ordinances/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> WCCO News. &#8220;I just don&#8217;t know how possible that would be to keep it respectful for everybody on a large scale.&#8221;
In Prior Lake, the city council already voted last week to ban cannabis businesses, as well as using marijuana in public, which includes smoking, vaping, and edibles. Using marijuana in public will be a petty misdemeanor in the city.
Neither Minneapolis nor St. Paul has addressed the issue of smoking marijuana in public yet.
Minnesota&#8217;s new legal weed law will not allow people to smoke inside the vast majority of public places and workplaces thanks to the state&#8217;s Clean Indoor Air Act, which was already on the books.
In recent years, many states have moved to legalize recreational marijuana, including New York, Illinois, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Montana.
New York City <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-losing-millions-in-taxes-from-legal-marijuana-sales-while-illegal-market-booms-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to pull in $56 million in tax revenue in its first year of legal weed, but instead is losing millions from anemic legal marijuana sales while an illegal market thrives.

FRANCE-DEMO-DRUG-CANNABIS

Minnesota Cities Consider Banning Smoking Marijuana In Public Areas As Drug Nears Legalization

Marijuana

A man who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identifies</a> as a woman will move to a women’s prison and receive a nearly half-million dollar payout after a settlement with the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC).
Christina Lusk, 57, was convicted of a First Degree Felony drug charge in 2019 and <a href="https://coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer/OffenderDetails/Index/151045/Fugitive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incarcerated</a> in <a href="https://mn.gov/doc/facilities/willow-river-moose-lake/moose-lake.jsp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MCF Moose Lake</a>, a medium-security men’s prison. Lusk sued MDOC in 2022, <a href="https://www.genderjustice.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/lusk-v-doc-complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arguing</a> that MDOC’s placement of Lusk in a men’s prison based “solely on genitalia” is unconstitutional and unenforceable. The settlement includes Lusk’s transport to Minnesota’s women-only Shakopee prison and access to “gender affirming healthcare,” <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/06/01/1179301244/minnesota-settlement-lawsuit-transgender-inmate-christina-lusk-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a> reported. On top of the new placement, Lusk will receive a $495,000 payout, which includes $250,000 in legal fees.
“With this settlement, the Department of Corrections takes an important and necessary step toward fulfilling its responsibilities to the people in its care,” stated Gender Justice Legal Director Jess Braverman, whose organization represented the inmate along with Robins Kaplan LLP.
In 2019, MDOC’s Transgender Committee <a href="https://www.genderjustice.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/lusk-v-doc-complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> Lusk be placed at MCF Moose Lake with “shower alone” and “single cell housing” restrictions. As <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/06/09/transgender-woman-incarcerated-in-mens-prison-sues-for-discrimination#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MPRNews</a> reported when the lawsuit was filed, Lusk alleged that the Transgender Committee denied the inmate’s requests “without explanation.”
However, the MDOC adopted <a href="https://policy.doc.mn.gov/DocPolicy/PolicyDoc?name=202.045.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new guidelines</a> in January 2023 regarding accommodations for trans-identifying prisoners. MDOC’s January 2023 policies require the Transgender Committee to take the inmate’s gender identity into consideration, with the inmate’s safety considered a priority.
“As part of settling the lawsuit and in accordance with the [M]DOC&#8217;s new transgender policy, the DOC has agreed to provide [Lusk] access to a transgender healthcare specialist to determine if gender-affirming surgery is medically necessary” the MDOC said in a statement. “The [M]DOC will also assist her in obtaining surgery if the specialist determines it is necessary.”
MDOC Commissioner Paul Schnell stated, “The DOC is constitutionally obligated to provide medically necessary care for incarcerated people, which includes treatment for gender dysphoria.” Schnell also claimed MDOC has a “legal obligation” to provide Lusk “the medical care she needs [and] deserves.”
“Thanks to Christina Lusk&#8217;s willingness to speak out, transgender people in custody will now have expanded access to the housing and health care they need, and the legal protections they deserve,” Braverman said.
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Lusk is set for release in May 2024.
Minnesota’s policy of deciding transgender cases <a href="https://news.wgcu.org/2023-06-01/a-trans-inmate-wins-health-care-and-will-move-to-womens-prison-after-suing-minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aligns with federal standards</a>, which call for case-by-case determinations. Despite this, these determinations tend to lean toward housing inmates in accordance with their biological sex.

Collage Maker-01-Jun-2023-02-10-PM-8892

Trans-Identifying Man To Be Placed In Women’s Prison, Receive Nearly $500K After Settlement

Trans-Identifying Man To Be Placed In Women's Prison, Receive Nearly $500K After Settlement

Criminal Justice

Social Issues

Transgender

Illegal immigrants will soon be eligible for free college tuition in Minnesota.
Some immigrants living in the U.S. illegally will be able to apply for Minnesota’s new free tuition program <a href="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/college-may-be-free-for-15000-minnesota-students-heres-how-it-works-and-who-qualifies/89-cee6f410-cd4b-4e0b-8020-76f5fc6951ac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> last month by the legislature&#8217;s Democratic majority.
The program, called the “North Star Promise,” covers tuition at the University of Minnesota or Minnesota State systems for students whose families make $80,000 a year or less.
“We want to make sure that when we’re expanding opportunities for everybody, we’re doing it for all Minnesotans, regardless of background, regardless of their documentation status,” <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/05/31/minnesota-free-college-tuition-undocumented-immigrants-eligible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> state Senator Omar Fateh, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Higher Education committee.
Fateh said one impetus for the bill is declining enrollment at public college campuses across the state.
“We’ve been seeing declining enrollment on all campuses,” Fateh said. “If we don’t do something quick, we’re at risk of shutting down some campuses. … I see this bill as an enrollment driver.”
Applicants <a href="https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2023/05/31/minnesota-to-provide-illegal-immigrants-with-free-college-tuition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">must meet</a> residency requirements, which can include graduating from a Minnesota high school or living in the state for a year without being enrolled full-time in college.
Students must also submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and once they receive the tuition, they must remain in good academic standing to keep it.
Republicans criticized the program, arguing that the $80,000 limit is unfair to students whose parents work multiple jobs but could still use the financial aid.
Some Republicans complained that they were not included in the legislative process to pass the education bill.
Representative Marion O’Neill, the only Republican on the committee, who wrote the legislative language of the program, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-legislature-college-tuition-free-7a229e7fa33fdf8d302f1d3e716b7ad6">said</a> she was “completely frozen out of all discussions.”
The free tuition program is estimated to cost about $117 million for the first year. The program will cost $49.5 million every year following that.
It does not begin until the 2024-2025 school year.
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Minnesota&#8217;s free college incentive for illegal immigrants comes just after a flood of migrants illegally crossed the southern border following a Trump-era restriction&#8217;s expiration.
Title 42, which allowed border authorities to send migrants back to Mexico quickly over COVID concerns, expired last month, prompting several days of record numbers of migrants entering the country illegally.
Several states, including <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ark-gov-sanders-deploys-national-guard-southern-border-help-texas-tackle-border-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arkansas</a> and <a href="https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2023/5/24/gov--lee-authorizes-tennessee-national-guard-deployment-to-secure-southern-border.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee,</a> have deployed the National Guard to assist with the crisis at the border, particularly in Texas.
California also allows illegal migrants to receive free tuition. However, only about 14% of migrants who are eligible for California&#8217;s program ended up applying.
Democrats have used their majority in the Minnesota legislature to pass laws granting illegal immigrants other benefits.
One new law allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver&#8217;s licenses.
<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/05/20/minnesota-to-allow-all-undocumented-residents-to-enroll-in-public-insurance/">Another new law</a> will give more than 40,000 illegal immigrants in Minnesota access to the state&#8217;s public health insurance program. Minnesota, California, and Washington, D.C., are the only places in the U.S. allowing all low-income people, including illegal immigrants, access to public health insurance. Several other states allow illegal immigrant minors and certain adults to access public health insurance.

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