Senator Zaynab Mohamed Condemns JD Vance’s Minneapolis Campaign Stop

In a contentious visit to Minneapolis, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance has drawn sharp criticism from local Democratic officials, particularly State Senator Zaynab Mohamed, who accused him of engaging in political theater rather than meaningful community outreach.

Mohamed, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party member representing Minneapolis, issued a scathing rebuke of Vance’s visit through a statement released by the Minnesota Senate DFL. In it, she characterized Vance’s appearance as part of a “propaganda campaign against Americans” under the Trump administration.

“Anyone willing to legitimize public appearances by JD Vance is not a ‘local leader,’ they are a pawn in a propaganda campaign against Americans,” Mohamed stated, suggesting that Vance’s community engagement was superficial and politically motivated rather than aimed at understanding local concerns.

The senator’s criticism highlighted what she perceives as Vance’s deliberate avoidance of those directly affected by stricter immigration policies. Mohamed pointed out that if Vance were genuinely interested in understanding community issues, he would have met with healthcare professionals, local law enforcement officers, and families who have been impacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

Instead, according to Mohamed, Vance opted for carefully orchestrated appearances that shielded him from confronting the realities faced by immigrant communities in Minneapolis, a city known for its significant and diverse immigrant population.

This visit comes as immigration remains a contentious issue in the presidential campaign, with the Trump-Vance ticket advocating for more aggressive enforcement measures. Minnesota, traditionally a Democratic-leaning state but one that has shown increasing competitiveness in recent elections, represents an important battleground where immigration policies resonate strongly with voters on both sides of the political spectrum.

Mohamed’s statement also addressed comments reportedly made by Vance regarding immigration enforcement agents having “absolute immunity.” She firmly rejected this notion, stating: “Vance has claimed his agents here have ‘absolute immunity.’ Americans know there’s no such thing, not for ICE officers now, and not for people like JD Vance and Kristi Noem when they’re held accountable for what they’ve done.”

The reference to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem appears to link Vance to other Republican figures who have taken hardline stances on immigration and law enforcement accountability.

Minneapolis has been at the center of national debates about law enforcement reform, particularly since the killing of George Floyd in 2020. The city has also been home to significant immigrant communities, including one of the largest Somali American populations in the country, making immigration policies especially relevant to local residents.

Senator Mohamed, who herself has a background in community organizing and advocacy for immigrant rights, framed her criticism in terms of protecting Minnesotans from what she characterized as policies that generate fear and represent “authoritarian overreach.”

The clash highlights the deep divisions in American politics regarding immigration policy, with Republicans generally favoring stricter enforcement and Democrats advocating for more humanitarian approaches and comprehensive reform.

As the presidential campaign intensifies in the final stretch before November’s election, visits to battleground states like Minnesota will likely continue to generate controversy, especially when touching on divisive issues like immigration enforcement. The exchange between Mohamed and Vance’s campaign underscores the heightened tensions and the significance of these issues to voters across the political spectrum.