Rep. Angie Craig, a four-term congresswoman now running for the U.S. Senate, has publicly acknowledged that she regrets voting for the Laken Riley Act, a reversal that has quickly reshaped the DFL primary landscape. Craig is framing her change of heart as a direct response to how the law has been used under the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota, a shift that has sparked protests and legal challenges across the Twin Cities. Her admission has drawn sharp criticism from primary opponent Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and fresh attention from national Republicans.
Craig's Op-Ed: 'I Regret My Vote'
In an op-ed for the Star Tribune, Craig wrote that she "never thought the Laken Riley Act was a perfect bill" and called her decision to support it "difficult," before stating plainly, "I regret my vote." She described standing with Minneapolis protesters and watching how the law was applied during Operation Metro Surge, saying that experience led her to question that vote. Craig used the column to argue that the episode has only strengthened her resolve to push back on the administration's immigration tactics.
What The Laken Riley Act Does
According to Congress.gov, the Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non‑U.S. nationals who are arrested for burglary, theft or shoplifting and allows states to sue the federal government over specific enforcement decisions. Supporters present it as a public safety fix following a high-profile murder. Critics argue that it significantly expands detention authority and can be applied broadly by the administration. The bill passed the House and became law in early 2025.
Political Consequences In The DFL Primary
Craig was the only Democrat in Minnesota's congressional delegation to vote for the measure, a detail her opponent has repeatedly driven home with voters, according to the Star Tribune. Flanagan has attacked Craig's past support for the act, arguing that granting ICE new authority under the current administration has produced tangible harms that an apology cannot erase. Their back and forth has turned immigration enforcement into a central flashpoint as the DFL endorsement season draws near.
Operation Metro Surge And Local Fallout
The law's enactment and the subsequent federal Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota escalated the controversy. Two Minnesota residents, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot during interactions with federal agents, and those incidents triggered days of protests along with a wave of lawsuits. AP News' reporting and timeline detail the shootings and the legal fights that followed over detainees' access to counsel and clergy visits, which pushed Craig's Laken Riley vote back into the political spotlight. Those developments form the immediate backdrop Craig cites for rethinking her earlier position.
Other Democrats And Legal Scrutiny
As enforcement ramped up, other Democrats who had initially backed the measure began distancing themselves and raising alarms about how it was being implemented, while lawyers across Minnesota filed dozens of suits challenging detentions tied to the surge. Coverage in outlets such as Semafor notes that Craig's reversal reflects a broader recalibration among some lawmakers facing local blowback as the policy's effects play out in courts and communities.
What Comes Next
Craig and Flanagan are now headed toward Minnesota's partisan primary on August 11, 2026, a date listed on the state's election calendar from the Minnesota Secretary of State. In the coming weeks, endorsement battles, debates and door knocking will reveal whether Craig's public regret blunts the criticism or leaves her more vulnerable in a race where immigration policy and ICE enforcement have become defining issues.
