As the new Trump administration cracks down on sanctuary states like Minnesota, the state’s Attorney General Keith Ellison pledged to defend Minnesota’s law.
Minnesota’s so-called sanctuary status comes from its efforts to limit the influence of the federal government by doing things like refusing to share information with federal immigration officers, according to advocacy groups.
From transgender inclusion in women’s sports to immigration policies, the back-and-forth between the presidential administration and Ellison has put Minnesota’s status as a sanctuary state into question.
Ellison said in a statement that he is committed to standing against “authoritative bullying” from the president.
“As Attorney General of Minnesota, it is my job to protect the civil rights and freedoms of all Minnesotans, and to defend our state laws and the Constitution,” Ellison said in a statement. “I also believe that all Minnesotans deserve to be treated with dignity, safety, and respect. If the Trump Administration seeks to harm the people of Minnesota in violation of our laws or the Constitution, I am prepared to stand up to them.”
The statement is one of many legal battles that Ellison has brought to court. On Feb. 28, Ellison and other state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump’s executive order to block federal funding for gender-affirming care.
Title IX protections, transgender student-athletes
One of the main issues regarding sanctuary laws in Minnesota is LGBTQ+ rights, specifically transgender rights.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi threatened a lawsuit against Minnesota for not complying with the Feb. 25 executive order to ban transgender women from women’s sports. Bondi said in a press release that allowing transgender women to play on K-12 women’s sports teams violates Title IX protections against discrimination based on sex in education programs.
In a lettered response to Bondi, Ellison said adhering to the executive order would violate discrimination protections in the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
Kat Rohn, executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy group OutFront Minnesota, said with the new presidential administration, Minnesota’s transgender refugee status is up for debate.
“We don’t expect that Minnesota is going to suddenly repeal or remove existing protections here in the State. I think the real question is how those will endure in the face of different federal attacks,” Rohn said. “If the federal government sees those as challenges to Title IX as they like. They can bring that to the courts and the courts will have to decide whether or not our laws violate federal law.”
Minnesota became a transgender refugee state after Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill in 2024 that guaranteed privacy to any person receiving gender-affirming care by giving protections to medical providers from out-of-state subpoenas. Those subpoenas could have opened up anyone who traveled to Minnesota to receive gender-affirming care from prosecution in their home state.
Rohn said the continued scrutiny on LGBTQ+ people during Trump’s first months back in office is causing marginalized people to be worried about their safety.
“One of the things we saw immediately post-election, there was an uptick in calls from local schools here in Minnesota, where students were experiencing bullying. Where bullies were explicitly using the words of the president or the actions of the president,” Rohn said.
Immigration challenges
It is not just Minnesota’s transgender protections that give the state its sanctuary status but also its increased protections of immigrants in the wake of Trump’s second term.
Trump has stepped up deportation efforts across the country, which includes empowering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to enter “sensitive” areas like churches, hospitals and schools.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Minneapolis police will not ask residents about their immigration status unless it is related to crimes like human trafficking or smuggling.
In addition, Minneapolis has the Sanctuary City Task Force, a multi-department team to support immigration programs and policies to prevent unfair deportations.
Ian Bratlie, a staff attorney at American Civil Liberties Union Minnesota, said Trump’s threat to withhold funding is motivated by Minnesota’s liberal policies on immigration.
“I think part of it is Walz was the vice president candidate. I think part of it is we have some good case law here in Minnesota that limits ICE, and the other reason is we are a pretty heavy immigrant state for a lot of different groups,” Bratlie said.
While other counties in Minnesota have different procedures for asking about immigration status, University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs said the possibility of holding funds could be painful for Minnesota.
“The other part, which will be maybe more directly painful, is that the Trump administration is promising to withhold federal dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars. They’re basically saying, ‘If you don’t cooperate and support ICE, then we’re going to put a block on federal money,’” Jacobs said.
Minnesota, Trump fight is not over
While times are uncertain now, Rohn said she is confident Minnesota will still keep its current law regarding transgender rights.
“We’re confident that we have good grounding and good justification. For why these laws here in Minnesota have endured so far,” Rohn said.
Jacobs said the several lawsuits, legal challenges and news releases from Minnesota to the Trump administration and vice versa are just the start.
“We’re in the early days here. Trump is only six weeks into his presidency. I think we’re looking at a sustained partisan battle between Washington and Minnesota,” Jacobs said. “It’s going to be across a whole number of issues, including immigration and gender. It could affect other policy areas as well.”
