Federal power meets local resistance in Minneapolis – a case study in how federalism staves off authoritarianism

State resistance to federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota illustrates how federalism keeps authority divided and disputed.

By: Nicholas Jacobs, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 3, 2026

Words: 1,355

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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By Nicholas Jacobs, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies

An unusually large majority of Americans agree that the recent scenes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis are disturbing.

Federal immigration agents have deployed with weapons and tactics more commonly associated with military operations than with civilian law enforcement. The federal government has sidelined state and local officials, and it has cut them out of investigations into whether state …

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