The Forward Party has expressed support for removing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from the streets of Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, calling the events of the past month federal overreach and a breakdown in constitutional protections.
In a statement released this week, the party said it endorses recent efforts by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to limit ICE activity in the city and restore public confidence. Earlier this month, federal agents shot two Minneapolis residents while operating in the city as part of Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement initiative launched by the Trump administration, sparking protests nationwide, including a national strike planned for this Friday.
Forward leaders denounced the shootings as “unnecessary violence,” saying the incident has heightened fear in communities already under strain and deepened distrust between local residents, federal authorities, and law enforcement. “No law-abiding American should fear for their life or liberty in their home or while exercising their constitutional rights,” the party said, adding that all people must be treated with “dignity and fairness.”
While neither Walz nor Frey has taken formal policy action to remove ICE from Minneapolis, both have publicly urged the agency to withdraw in the aftermath of the shootings. They have also met with Trump “border czar” Tom Homan to advocate for an end to Operation Metro Surge, and Frey reportedly raised concerns about ICE operations during the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Winter Meeting this week.
The Forward Party further accused federal immigration enforcement officials of engaging in practices that raise serious constitutional concerns, including allegations of warrantless entries, suspicionless stops, intimidation, and targeting based on appearance or association. The statement also warned that core constitutional protections, including free speech, the Second Amendment, due process, and equal protection under the law, are actively being undermined.
“Now is the time to lower the temperature, insist on accountability, and remember that despite our differences, we are all Americans,” the party wrote. “We call on Forward members to speak out for the Constitution and rule of law, engage their elected leaders constructively, and act in ways that strengthen trust, dignity, and justice in every community.”
There are studies that show that undocumented immigrants are substantially less likely to commit murders and other serious crimes than are U.S. citizens. To quote from an NPR program dated March 8, 2024:
“Some of the most extensive research comes from Stanford University. Economist Ran Abramitzky found that since the 1960s, immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born people.
There is also state level research, that shows similar results: researchers at the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, looked into Texas in 2019. They found that undocumented immigrants were 37.1% less likely to be convicted of a crime.”
As for welfare usage statistics, Politifact posted this on Jan. 31, 2022:
“Most immigrants living illegally in the country are not eligible for benefits from federal programs. A valid Social Security number is needed to receive most federal benefits. Immigrants in the country illegally are not issued Social Security numbers.
They may qualify for state and local public assistance programs.
Some immigrants illegally in the country also pay taxes, and that helps cover the costs of assistance programs.”
And, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (July 30, 2024) undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes, and that “Income tax payments by undocumented immigrants are affected by laws that require them to pay more than otherwise similarly situated U.S. citizens. Undocumented immigrants are often barred from receiving meaningful tax credits and sometimes do not claim refunds they are owed due to lack of awareness, concern about their immigration status, or insufficient access to tax preparation assistance.”
Bottom line: Undocumented immigrants commit less crime than U.S. born citizens, pay a ton of money in taxes, but are not able to receive the benefits that they would otherwise be entitled to.
It would be interesting to contrast this with the number of murders and other crimes committed by illegal aliens and their offspring. Welfare usage statistucs would be good to show as well.