‘The people of Minnesota ended the surge’: AG Ellison statement on end of Operation Metro Surge

“The end of Operation Metro Surge, when it materializes, will be welcome news. Tragically, the surge is ending too late for Renee Good and Alex Pretti and all who loved them. It is ending too late for Liam Conejo Ramos and the other children who will have to live with the trauma of their detention. It is ending too late for everyone who was wrongfully and illegally detained. It is ending too late for Minnesotans who have endured racial profiling, for businesses that have closed, for children that couldn’t go to school, for the people who have fallen behind on their rent because they couldn’t safely go to work. This unprecedented, unnecessary, and unconstitutional exercise of force leaves much pain in its wake.

Despite the pain, make no mistake: this is a victory. This is a victory for the rule of law, for the power of clear-headed, creative, lawful resistance, and for the strength of unity over division. 

The people of Minnesota ended the surge. Your voices, your dedication to peaceful protest, your documenting federal agents’ abuses of power, and your commitment to protecting and providing for each other made this happen. In the face of Donald Trump’s campaign of revenge and retribution against us, you stood strong, stood for the rule of law, and stood for what we believe in Minnesota: that we are stronger when we stand together, that we all do better when we all do better, and that everyone deserves to live with dignity, safety, and respect — no exceptions. 

Now, our attention turns to healing and to ensuring that what happened here over the past several weeks can never happen again — not to us, and not to any state, city, or neighborhood in this country.”

The Official Website of Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison

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