One Year After Laken Riley Act, One Democrat Doesn’t Want To Talk About Her ‘Yes’ Vote
A year after the passage of the Laken Riley Act, Minnesota Democratic Rep. Angie Craig is trying to distance herself from her vote in favor of the bill.
Craig, a four-term lawmaker vying for Minnesota’s open Senate race in 2026, is moving sharply to the left in an effort to win a bruising Democratic primary. Although Craig was one of 46 Democrats who voted in January 2025 for the Laken Riley Act — legislation that helped lay the groundwork for Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration — the hopeful Senate now prefers not to discuss it. (RELATED: Ilhan Omar, Congressional Democrats Confront Federal Agents, Get Kicked Out of ICE Facilities)
When asked by the Daily Caller News Foundation if she would vote differently today on the Laken Riley Act, Craig dodged the question.
“The Laken Riley Act is not being used by the administration. They are violating every law in the book,” Craig said in a brief interview. “Tell me a time they used it.”
More than 17,500 illegal immigrants have been arrested under the Laken Riley Act, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in December.
The law, named in honor of a 22-year-old University of Georgia student murdered by a Venezuelan national living illegally in the United States, mandates the detention of illegal immigrants accused or charged with certain crimes. Riley’s killer had previously been arrested for shoplifting, but was released before the murder.
In June 2025, Craig also broke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to vote for a GOP-authored resolution, which in part expressed “gratitude” to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The measure – which is opposed by a majority of House Democrats – also condemns an anti-Semitic attack in Boulder, Colorado.
Today, Craig seems to view these votes as a political liability.
Minnesota Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, an unapologetic progressive who is running to Craig’s left in the Democratic primary, has repeatedly criticized the lawmaker’s votes for the Laken Riley Act and the pro-ICE resolution.
When Flanagan argued at a recent campaign event that Craig’s votes had facilitated authoritarianism, the crowd responded with boos and chants of “shame” at the Minnesota lawmaker.
“Our immigrant neighbors deserve better,” added Flanagan, an aide to Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, referring to illegal aliens.
Asked to respond to Flanagan’s criticism, Craig refused to put a label on his political identity.
“I’ve always been difficult to define as a member of Congress in my votes and I don’t think I’m very definable now,” Craig said. “I always listen to my constituents and that’s what I will continue to do for Minnesotans.”
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 29: Allyson Philips (center) is comforted by U.S. President Donald Trump as she speaks about her daughter with her husband Jason Riley (3rd from left) and their other daughter during the Laken Riley Act signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House January 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Craig, who represents a light blue district outside Minneapolis — which former Vice President Kamala Harris won by six percentage points in 2024 — has previously highlighted her “moderate” credentials before her Senate bid.
She was among a handful of Democrats who supported a resolution in January 2024 condemning the Biden administration’s “open borders” policies and condemning senior administration officials, including Harris, for their failure to stem the crisis.
Craig also took a victory lap in June 2024 after former President Joe Biden took executive action aimed at securing the southern border following his advocacy.
In a September 2024 Facebook post, she highlighted her trip to the U.S.-Mexico border with a group of Republicans in February 2023 and stated her support for providing “additional resources” to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“We only make progress when we work together,” Craig said, referring to bipartisanship.
These appeals to the center appeared to strengthen Craig’s position in her swing district, and she comfortably beat her Republican opponent by 13 points in November 2024 despite a largely Republican-friendly environment.
“I really believe voters want someone who has a history of moderate, centrist voting,” Crag told the Minneapolis-based MinnPost after his re-election victory.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 19: Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan takes the stage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Following the Trump administration’s surge in immigration enforcement in Minnesota and the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents, Craig appeared to pivot to the left on immigration policy.
The Senate candidate defended the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and pledged not to give “a single cent to Trump’s ICE.” She also called for DHS to shut down despite the sprawling agency that oversees vital entities including the Coast Guard, Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Craig joined nearly all Democrats in voting against a DHS appropriations bill Thursday, citing her opposition to funding ICE and CBP in the absence of agency reform.
“The Senate must deliver,” Craig wrote in a Monday message to X. “Not one cent more for Trump’s DHS.”
Republicans are eager to criticize Craig’s departure from his once-described “centrist” brand ahead of the August 2026 Senate primary.
“Angie Craig turned to the far-left Looney Tunes in an attempt to outdo her opponent and appease the radicals in her party,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, the highest-ranking Minnesota Republican, told the DCNF in a statement. “There is only one explanation for her about-face, from voting for the Laken Riley Act last year to now calling for defunding ICE: Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Notably, Emmer and the Minnesota Republican delegation issued a press release on Thursday thanking Craig for his vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act.
Craig’s new combative stance on immigration enforcement risks backfiring in a general election. Although most Americans believe ICE’s tactics have gone too far, surveys show that voters trust Republicans more than Democrats to handle immigration.
Although Minnesota tends to favor Democratic candidates at the federal level, Republicans hope that six more months of infighting between Craig and Flanagan could weaken the party’s general election nominee.
The entry into the race of former NFL reporter Michele Tafoya also puts the seat in play for Republicans and will likely force Democrats to consolidate the seat vacated by retiring Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.
Democrats must successfully defend their seat – alongside Georgia and Michigan – to have a viable chance of regaining control in the November midterm elections.
Caden Olson contributed to this report.
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