Rep. Ilhan Omar and local leaders from Minnesota vowed to keep fighting against President Donald J. Trump’s administration, which they accused of trying to destroy the constitution of the United States.
“We have to be ready to fight back because we know submission is the path to dictatorship,” Omar told her constituents, who gathered in St. Louis Park for a townhall meeting she hosted on Thursday, Feb. 20. “[Trump] wants to abolish agencies that protect everyday Americans which will make it easier for big banks, corporations, and oligarchs like [Tesla CEO Elon] Musk to control every aspect of our society.”
Since Trump’s return to the White House, he has signed several executive orders that critics say are unconstitutional and likely to cause great harm to the United States. Some of the executive orders ended birthright U.S. citizenship; suspended funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); got rid of federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs; and laid off thousands of federal government workers.
“What we are witnessing is a constitutional crisis through Trump’s attempt to expand executive authority,” Omar said. “We cannot allow for these actions to be normalized.”
Saint Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed said Trump’s return to the White House had caused a lot of uncertainty. But the city of Saint Louis Park remained focused on and committed to its “strategic priorities,” which were grounded in the values of its residents, she said.
“This feels like a really good time to reiterate those priorities,” Mohamed said. “These priorities guide us as we navigate change together and reflect our shared commitment to service, community voice, and excellence.”
Mohamed said the priorities include racial equity and inclusion to create a more just and welcoming community; advancing environmental stewardship; expanding housing options and neighborhood-oriented development; improving transportation so that people can move around the city safely; comfortably, and reliably; and creating opportunities for community engagement and connections.
“I stand proudly behind those strategic priorities,” she said.
Mohamed, who was born in Somalia and came to the United States with her family as refugees when she was 10 years old, said she had received a lot of emails from people wondering if St. Louis Park Police Department would enforce federal immigration laws. She said the department had a longstanding policy of not asking residents about their immigration status and therefore doesn’t maintain any data on the immigration status of people officers come in contact with during their daily work.
“Maintaining the trust and faith of the community has always been the police department’s priority,” Mohamed said. “That remains true today. Every resident should have the confidence to call for help when needed, knowing that the police response will be guided by the values and principles that they have always demonstrated.”
State Rep. Larry Kraft, who represents District 46A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, said the fact that people were still turning out in numbers at townhall meetings showed how important it was for communities to come together during what he described as a tough two months of Trump’s presidency. He said that lawmakers at the State Capitol were doing everything they could to push back against Trump’s policies.
“What we’re trying to do at the state level is do what’s right for Minnesota, but we’re also trying to connect things that are happening here to the broader things that are happening across the country,” Kraft said. “We know that in this country the economy is unfair for everyone but the wealthy. And right now, the Trump administration is trying to make that worse, and we need to push back on that.”
Paul Baudhuin, an At-Large member of St. Louis Park City Council, said it was more important than ever for citizens to get involved in the political process, not just as voters but also as candidates for office. Baudhuin said that two years ago, he was one of those citizens who never thought about running for office. Somebody told him there was going to be an open city council seat and urged him to run for it, he said. He ran for it and got elected. Working in City Hall made him realize just how important and impactful local municipal governance could be, he said. Baudhuin urged people not to sit around waiting for the midterm elections but instead pay attention to other opportunities to create change through local elections like the ones that will be held in the fall to fill seats in school boards, city councils, and commissions.
“This is not an off year,” Baudhuin said. “It an odd year and there is a lot at stake, and we need good people running and having robust campaigns and getting in and doing the work that we’re trying to do every week here at St. Louis Park. We can’t control the federal government, [and] the state government, but we can control what goes on in St. Louis Park and we can do what we can to make sure that people are safe and protected and living vibrant beautiful lives.”
Responding to a constituent who wanted to know what Democrats in Washington, D.C., were doing to fight Trump’s policies, Omar said there were conversations about ways to slow down Trump’s progress, but she could not go into details in public.
“You don’t you don’t want to tell your opponent what your plans are in opposing them,” she said. “So, yes, there are plans in place. We are collectively working together to try and figure out the best way to stop the bleed, stop the damage and make sure that they are not able to have the kind of carnage that they want.”
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About Edwin Okong'o - Mshale Contributing Editor
Edwin Okong'o is a Mshale Contributing Editor. Formerly he was the newspaper's editor.
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