A Minnesota Republican has ended his campaign for governor due to his claims that leaders of his party are targeting citizens as President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on illegal alien crime.
Chris Madel announced Monday he was terminating his campaign and, although he supported the initial purpose of immigration enforcement operations in his state, Madel claimed that “Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats,” CBS News reported.
“United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong. ICE has authorized its agents to raid homes using a civil warrant that need only be signed by a border patrol agent. That’s unconstitutional and it’s wrong,” he claimed:
Madel claimed he had spoken to “countless United States citizens who have been detained in Minnesota due to the color of their skin.”
His comments come after federal immigration agents detained a U.S. citizen at his home in St. Paul, the Associated Press (AP) reported January 19. The article identified him as ChongLy “Scott” Thao.
However, the report then noted, “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security described the ICE operation at Thao’s home as a ‘targeted operation’ seeking two convicted sex offenders.”
Video footage shows Thao being detained and photos show the suspects with whom Thao had reportedly been living:
Despite the large number of illegal alien criminals U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested across his state, Madel in his video called Operation Metro Surge an “unmitigated disaster.”
It is also important to note that Madel has been facing scrutiny from state Republicans over his political donations, the Dallas Express reported January 17.
“In 2021 Madel donated to Governor Tim Walz’s re-election campaign. This came after Walz had implemented extensive COVID-19 measures, including statewide lockdowns, a mask mandate, and vaccine distribution efforts amid ongoing restrictions on businesses, gatherings, and daily life,” the article said.
“More notably, campaign finance disclosures indicate that in 2024, during the presidential election cycle, Madel made donations to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris,” it added.
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