2018 MN Governor's race: on Immigration


Tim Walz: Give DREAMers a path to citizenship

Q: Support DACA, allowing "Dreamers" who arrived illegally as children, then grew up in the US, to achieve legal status?

Jeff Johnson (R): Unknown.

Tim Walz (D): Yes. Sees a need to address DACA & protect Dreamers. Wants to provide them with a path t

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Minnesota Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Jeff Johnson: Opposes sanctuary state and all sanctuary cities

Though hard to believe, the DFL candidates for governor support the concept of "sanctuary cities" and, in fact, want to make Minnesota a "sanctuary state." This would mean that local law enforcement would be prohibited from working with federal agents tasked with enforcing our country's immigration laws. I will not allow Minnesota to become a sanctuary state and will work with the legislature to ban sanctuary cities in Minnesota.
Source: 2018 Minnesota JohnsonForGovernor.org campaign website Sep 1, 2018

Lori Swanson: Joined forces to fight against Trump's zero tolerance policy

Minnesota AG Lori Swanson has joined with 20 other Democratic attorneys general nationwide in demanding that the Trump administration end a "zero tolerance" policy that has resulted in children being separated from their parents at the U.S.- Mexico border. The state prosecutors say in a letter to U.S. AG Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen that the policy is inhumane and draconian. And they say raises serious concerns regarding the violation of children's rights.
Source: Seattle Times on 2018 Minnesota Gubernatorial race Jun 19, 2018

Erin Murphy: Support driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants

Q: What will you do to restore access to immigrants' driver's licenses that were taken away by Tim Pawlenty in 2003?

Murphy: "I was in a church in 2014 in North Minneapolis where I made a commitment to vote for and support driver's licenses for people who are not documented here in the state of Minnesota. And as your governor I will keep that commitment." Murphy added that she will not allow law enforcement in Minnesota to become an extension of ICE.

Source: Post-Bulletin on 2018 Minnesota governor debate Oct 25, 2017

Jeff Johnson: Distinguish legal residents for getting state services

Q: If elected governor, what will you do to fight the scapegoating and demonization and persecution of immigrants and refugees? Specifically, what will you do to work with the Minnesota Legislature to restore access to driver's licenses that were taken away by Tim Pawlenty in 2003?

Johnson: "I think it's helpful if we draw the curtain here and distinguish between those who are legal residents and legal citizens of the United States, and who are not."

Source: Post-Bulletin on 2018 Minnesota governor debate Oct 25, 2017

Rebecca Otto: Support driver's licenses for undocumented workers

Q: What will you do to restore access to immigrants' driver's licenses that were taken away by Tim Pawlenty in 2003?

Otto: While supporting efforts to allow undocumented workers to obtain driver's licenses & universal health care, she added, "I don't like hateful behavior. I don't tolerate it. I taught seventh grade. I taught 12- and 13-year-olds. They weren't allowed to say certain things in our classroom, and it's going to be the same thing with our president, and I will call him out if he does."

Source: Post-Bulletin on 2018 Minnesota governor debate Oct 25, 2017

Tim Walz: Helped resettle countless immigrants into this community

Q: If elected governor, what will you do to fight the scapegoating and demonization and persecution of immigrants and refugees?

Walz: Talking about his first campaign where Rep. Steve King from Iowa campaigned against him, Walz said, "Two days after I was elected, I was in the church with Fr. Brixius in Worthington in the basement after the ICE raid there. Over the years, my office has helped resettle countless people into this community."

Source: Post-Bulletin on 2018 Minnesota governor debate Oct 25, 2017

Tina Liebling: America offers a promise to desperate immigrants

Q: What will you do to fight the scapegoating and persecution of immigrants and refugees?

Liebling: Saying Gov. Dayton could have fixed the driver's license problem, added, "Let's just remember that children don't choose where they are born. They don't choose their families. People who are coming to this country and who are risking so much to do it without documentation are doing it out of desperation. They are doing it because America offered a promise to them, or at least they thought it did."

Source: Post-Bulletin on 2018 Minnesota governor debate Oct 25, 2017

Chris Coleman: Our sanctuary city law not subject to Trump executive ban

Officials in the Twin Cities are reviewing President Donald Trump's executive order that cuts funding for so-called sanctuary cities. They say the impact of the order is not yet clear. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman says it applies to cities that willfully violate federal law. Coleman says St. Paul is not in violation. St. Paul and many other cities have ordinances that create a distinction between the duties of local law enforcement officers and those of federal immigration agents.

Across the river in Minneapolis, Mayor Betsy Hodges says the city attorney is reviewing the order. Hodges says the city's separation ordinance makes all the people of Minneapolis safer because victims of crime, and witnesses to crime, are more likely to come forward if they're not in danger of being deported

Source: CBS-MN-Local on 2018 Minnesota Gubernatorial race Jan 26, 2017

  • The above quotations are from 2018 Minnesota Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Immigration.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Erin Murphy on Immigration.
  • Click here for more quotes by Chris Coleman on Immigration.
Candidates and political leaders on Immigration:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 11, 2018