President Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan announced late last week that Operation Metro Surge is winding down and that he anticipates that, within a week, most federal agents will leave Minnesota with many remaining during the transition period. While this is a welcomed development, I encourage our neighbors to remain vigilant exercising their constitutional rights. Actions speak louder than words, but I’m cautiously optimistic we are moving in the right direction.
A BIG thank you to everyone who turned out for our District 46 Town Hall meeting last Thursday evening. If you didn’t get a chance to attend, a recording of the town hall meeting will be available later this week here. Our discussion was lively and timely, with people sharing experiences from across the community. There was a lot of concern expressed about how to recover from the federal occupation – from our businesses to our students in school as well as putting policies in place to protect Minnesotans in the future.
If you couldn’t make it, I’m still hosting a series of Community Conversations across the three communities in our area. The next event will happen on Saturday, February 21 – 10:30 am to Noon at the St. Louis Park Library (3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park).
And if you’re looking ahead to March, here are the dates I’m meeting with constituents for the next round of Community Conversations:
Tuesday, March 3 –6:30 -8:00 pm at Edina Library (5280 Grandview Square, Edina) Saturday, March 7 – Noon – 1:30 pm at the St. Louis Park Library (3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park) Saturday, March 14 –10:30 am – Noon at the Hopkins Library (22 11th Ave. N., Hopkins)
The Legislative Session Begins Tomorrow
The 2026 legislative session is slated to begin tomorrow. Governor Walz recently issued an executive order effective February 17, implementing weapons screening at the Minnesota State Capitol, following the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security (ACCAS). This recommendation was based on an independent security assessment commissioned by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Screenings will serve as a deterrent to those who may wish to bring illegal weapons into the Capitol to commit violence, intimidate people, or interfere with the orderly work of government.
The economic impacts of ICE on our state and Twin Cities has reached far and wide and will require a robust recovery response. I’m encouraged to see Governor Walz announce this week a bipartisan proposal for a $10 million one-time emergency relief fund aimed at Minnesota businesses that have been impacted by the occupation. We as Minnesotans have been through significant challenges, natural disasters, and a global pandemic, but the onslaught of federal agents in Minnesota is unprecedented. Many segments of our economy will need to recover from our small businesses to our restaurants as well as housing and food stability. We will also need to help our students and schools recover from interruptions to the learning environment. You can read more about the initial small business proposal from the Governor by clicking this link.
We will also need to help our students and schools recover from interruptions to the learning environment. A key focus of mine as the House DFL K-12 Education Finance Committee Chair will be working through the realities of the learning loss and mental health struggles of our kids, and the impact of significant absenteeism due to the disruptions caused by ICE and federal immigration agents.
My colleague Representative Sydney Jordan, who serves as the DFL Chair on the Education Policy Committee has already introduced legislation to ban ICE from Minnesota schools. ICE has created a presence of fear of anxiety in our students and has made it impossible for some students to attend schools. Our first hearing in the House Education Finance Committee will be presentations and testimony from teachers, administrators, parents, and other student support staff regarding the effects of the Metro Surge Operation on our students and schools. I’m looking forward to digging in and working on bipartisan relief to get our kids back on track and thriving academically and emotionally.
I was glad to join the Association of Metropolitan School Districts for their annual legislative breakfast on February 6 to hear more about these concerns. It’s always nice to hear from education leaders, MDE Commissioner Willie Jett, and my fellow legislators. Shout out to St Louis Park Supt. Dr. Hines and School Board Chair Cox.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to keep in touch on the issues important to you at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
Thank you for the honor of serving our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol.
Community connection matters now more than ever. Throughout my time serving you, I’ve prioritized creating spaces where we can come together—when people from diverse backgrounds share their viewpoints, it strengthens our democracy and builds a better tomorrow.
I hope you can join me for a community conversation in February. The dates and locations are:
Wednesday, February 4 – 6:30-8:00 pm at the Hopkins Library (22 11th Ave. N., Hopkins)
Wednesday, February 11 – 6:30-8:00 pm at Edina Library (5280 Grandview Square, Edina)
Saturday, February 21 – 10:30 am to Noon at the St. Louis Park Library (3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park)
These are extraordinary times. Federal agents remain deployed in our state, and Minnesota continues to mourn the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, along with numerous forced removals across the region. Among them is 5-year-old Liam Ramos, currently detained in Texas with a fever and refusing to eat. He belongs at home with his mother.
Locally, I’m proud of the action our communities have taken to peacefully protect our neighbors. We care for each other and have our neighbors’ backs, always, even if it’s easy to look away. We all deserve to be safe.
Thank you to Gillah, the owner of Needle & Skein, for hosting an incredible Protest Knit Along recently. There were 65+ folks in two rooms knitting red hats with their neighbors and raising money for families in need. Rep. Larry Kraft and Mayor Nadia Mohamed could not be prouder of our community!
Almost 300 people showed up to a beautiful candlelight vigil for Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the Hopkins clocktower. Thank you to all who helped organize it and who showed up to be in community! It was a heartfelt tribute to two beautiful souls that were brutally taken too soon.
Last Friday I toured the ICA food shelf and learned about the increased outreach they are doing with our schools including their Hopkins Strong initiative with the Hopkins Education Foundation. It’s great to see the work they are doing to keep our neighbors in need fed. Consider dropping off a donation if you can.
This week, we had a press conference with educational leaders, teachers, principals, and essential school personnel to discuss our concerns about ICE’s interference in our school system. Teachers assisting with food distribution are being surveilled, and students are experiencing severe anxiety and trauma.
Our schools must remain safe havens for children—places where they can learn and thrive. These spaces should also protect the dedicated staff members who work tirelessly for our students’ success.
You can read more about the press event from this MinnPost coverage by clicking this link.
Credit: MinnPost Photo/Deanna Pistono
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or input. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
On January 24, we had another shooting by Federal law enforcement that killed a Minnesotan. Alex Pretti, a 37 year-old Minnesota citizen and ICU nurse, was in his community when an ICE action unfolded. He went to the aid of a woman who an ICE agent shoved to the ground. Alex, that woman, and another bystander were maced by an ICE agent and then six ICE agents tackled Alex Pretti to the ground and shot him multiple times.
I am not going to post multiple views of the video here, you can view them on multiple local news stations. They are disturbing and heartbreaking to watch. What is even more disturbing was the reaction an hour after from federal officials calling Alex Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and launching into a smear campaign that we have seen before. All of this the day after over 10,000 Minnesotans marched peacefully through Minneapolis in below zero temperature to ask federal officials to stop “Operation Metro Surge”.
That evening, communities across the state held candlelight vigils to light up the darkness we are facing right now. To come together in community. Because, that is what we do. Minnesotans live through long, cold winters, we take care of our neighbors, and we love our communities. We also know the truth when we see it. Believe your eyes and stay strong. The world is watching and I am proud of Minnesota for meeting this moment.
Over 250 people came together at the Hopkins clocktower plaza to hold a rally asking ICE to stop terrorizing our communities. A small group of us organized the rally and the community showed up to peacefully express their first amendment rights. There were plenty of handmade signs, music, and families as well as coffee and hot chocolate served.
It was an expression of hope from a community of folks who have stepped up in so many to take care of their neighbors. I am so proud of our small city of Hopkins, founded by Czech immigrants, who truly believe that all are welcome here.
Our schools are places of learning that are supposed to be safe and healthy for our students and staff. School safety was in the news this summer after the shooting at Annunciation and is in the news once again as the Department of Homeland Security deployed 3,000 ICE agents into our communities.
We were told that ICE’s presence in our communities was to go after the worse of the worst and to investigate fraud. Their mission has warped beyond that and is directly impacting our student’s education as well as their mental health. Parents and students are speaking up. You can see the coverage from a press conference our parents and community members held outside of Aquila Elementary in St. Louis Park following an ICE operation across the street from the school. Teachers had to keep the blinds closed in order to shield their students. You can see the coverage of the press conference here.
In 2023, we invested money in our K-12 system to support our student’s mental health by increasing school counselors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists in our schools. And, just when we saw our students’ mental health improve, actions from ICE are taking us a step backwards. From storming onto the grounds and deploying tear gas at Roosevelt High School to taking a child’s parent away at a bus stop in front of a busload of students, ICE’s actions are subjecting our students to unnecessary fear and violence.
ICE does not belong in our schools, on school grounds, or at our bus stops. As the Co-Chair for the House Education Finance Committee, I joined my DFL Co-Vice Chair and the DFL Co-Chair and Co-Vice Chair of the House Education Policy Committee in a statement about ICE in our schools. I did reach out to our House GOP Co-Chair/Co-Vice Chair colleagues, but they were not ready to join us in a statement at this time.
A friendly reminder to join me for our upcoming January Community Conversations. Here are the dates and locations below:
Saturday, January 24 – 11:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Hopkins Library (22 11th Ave. N., Hopkins)
Tuesday, January 27 – 6:30-8:00 pm at the St. Louis Park Library (3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park)
Wednesday, January 28 – 6:30-8:00 pm at the Edina Library (5280 Grandview Square, Edina)
With February around the corner, I hope you can mark your calendars for next month’s community conversations series:
Wednesday, February 4 – 6:30-8:00 pm at the Hopkins Library (22 11th Ave. N., Hopkins)
Wednesday, February 11 – 6:30-8:00 pm at Edina Library (5280 Grandview Square, Edina)
Saturday, February 21 – 10:30 am to Noon at the St. Louis Park Library (3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park)
Governor’s State Address
Governor Walz addressed Minnesotans this week about the federal government’s ongoing presence in our state. In his remarks, he acknowledged the fear and anger many are feeling, but emphasized the critical importance of remaining peaceful in our response. He encouraged Minnesotans to continue looking out for one another, to document what we’re witnessing in our communities, and to remember that accountability will come through the ballot box and the courts. The Governor was clear: we have a right to protest loudly and urgently, but we cannot let violence prevail. He reminded us that this is a moment to show who we are as Minnesotans—people who believe in the rule of law, human dignity, and taking care of our neighbors. Please stay safe, stay peaceful, and continue to support one another. You can watch and listen to the governor’s remarks by clicking this link.
Below are resources to familiarize yourself with, as well as connections to community organizations that are providing important training opportunities.
Earlier this week, parents and local leaders had a press conference highlighting the concern of ICE activity across the street from the school. This activity caused teachers to keep blinds drawn and increased students and parents anxiety.
Our schools must remain safe spaces for learning. The presence of ICE agents near school grounds creates an environment of fear and anxiety that disrupts education for everyone—students lose focus, teachers struggle to maintain normalcy, and administrators face impossible situations. Parents shouldn’t have to stand guard at their children’s schools. Our kids deserve to learn without fear, and our educators deserve to teach without interference. Schools are for education, not enforcement.
Here is the statement from our DFL Chairs and Vice Chairs of our house Education Finance and Policy Committees:
ICE’s chaos has no place in Minnesota’s schools. As federal actions continue to undermine the security and learning environment in classrooms across the state, students are missing out on critical educational milestones.
We have made strong investments in the mental health of our students, critical support staff, and in improving school attendance. And just as we are starting to see the results of those investments, ICE’s presence in our school communities has taken us steps back. ICE has no place in our schools or interfering with our students’ education.
Know Your Rights
Together with Hennepin County Commissioner Heather Edelson and my legislative colleagues, I’m co-hosting a virtual Know Your Rights training session. Residents of District 50A are invited to join us.
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or input. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
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