AG Ellison asks Minnesotans to share how federal actions have affected them

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is soliciting testimony from Minnesotans on the impacts of actions by the federal government.

The call to action comes the day after a Venezuelan man living in Minnesota was shot in the leg by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in north Minneapolis and a week after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good.

Other reports continue to surface of federal agents using excessive force against protesters; deploying tear gas and chemical agents among crowds; profiling people based on their perceived ethnicity; and entering homes without a proper warrant.

Attorney General Keith Ellison said the online form is not limited to reports on the effects of federal agents’ operations in the Twin Cities. His office is also asking for documentation of any fallout related to federal funding cuts or grant terminations.

Ellison says the submissions could be used to support Minnesota’s ongoing legal action against the federal government, including a lawsuit seeking to stop “Operation Metro Surge,” which has funneled upwards of 2,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to Minnesota.

RELATED: Minnesota AG, Twin Cities mayors sue DHS to end ‘federal invasion’ | Judge declines to grant TRO request but sets deadlines as Minnesota seeks to stop what Ellison calls a ’federal invasion’

“The surge of DHS agents into Minnesota has done tremendous harm to the people of Minnesota, and I urge those who have personally experienced or directly witnessed that harm to share their stories with my office,” Ellison said in a statement. “What’s most useful to my office right now are experiences that are specific and as detailed and direct as possible.”

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has filed or signed on to more than 50 lawsuits against the federal government.

The form allows people to submit photos, links to videos and written testimony. Ellison’s office said it is only asking for verified information and firsthand experiences — not rumors or viral social media posts.

RELATED: As FBI shuts state out of ICE shooting probe, local leaders ask for evidence submissions

Last week, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced a separate online portal to collect evidence related to Good’s death after state investigators were blocked from accessing the FBI’s case file.
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