Angie Craig Runs Left on Laken Riley Act as Minnesota Senate Primary Gets Ugly

The Minnesota Democrat who voted for the Laken Riley Act now regrets it as Peggy Flanagan pressures her from the left in the Senate primary.

Minnesota Democrats are giving voters a pretty clear message in this Senate primary: even voting to detain illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes can now get you crosswise with the party base.

Rep. Angie Craig, long marketed as one of the more "moderate" Democrats in Minnesota politics, says she now regrets voting for the Laken Riley Act. That reversal comes as Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan keeps hammering her from the left in the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

In other words, Craig is not moving right to win over general election voters. She is moving left to survive her own primary. Because of course she is.

What Changed

According to a Star Tribune commentary cited by multiple outlets, Craig wrote that giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement additional authority under the current administration was "the wrong decision" and that she regrets her vote.

That is a notable shift.

The Laken Riley Act was named after the Georgia nursing student murdered in 2024 by an illegal immigrant. The legislation, signed by President Donald Trump early in his second term, expanded detention requirements for illegal immigrants accused of certain crimes, including theft-related offenses and violent crimes.

Craig had previously voted for the bill. Now, with a statewide Democratic primary underway, she is backing away from it.

Why the Reversal Matters

This is not just another politician adjusting a talking point. It tells you where the pressure inside today’s Democratic Party is coming from.

Craig is running against Peggy Flanagan, a favorite of the activist left in Minnesota. Flanagan has attacked Craig for being the only Minnesota Democrat to support the Laken Riley Act. Craig’s reversal looks less like a careful reconsideration of policy and more like a white flag to the progressive base.

That matters because immigration is supposed to be one of the clearest issues in American politics.

If someone is in the country illegally and is accused of committing serious crimes, should the government detain that person instead of releasing him back into the community?

Normal people hear that question and think the answer is obvious.

Minnesota Democrats apparently think it is controversial.

The Democratic Primary Test

Here is the real test this primary is applying:

• Can a Democrat vote for a law tied to public safety and still survive the activist class?

• Can a candidate stake out even a mildly enforcement-oriented position on immigration without apologizing for it later?

• Can anyone in that party be called a moderate if the left gets a veto over basic law-and-order votes?

Craig’s answer, at least for now, is no.

According to the Minnesota Reformer’s summary of the dispute, Flanagan said Craig was "the only Minnesota Democrat to vote with Donald Trump to empower ICE" and argued that regret now is "too little, too late."

That line tells you everything. In this primary, the political sin is not weak border enforcement. The political sin is helping ICE at all.

What the Law Actually Signaled

Supporters of the Laken Riley Act argued that the federal government has a duty to detain illegal immigrants accused of crimes instead of waiting for another tragedy and another press conference.

That is not radical. That is the bare minimum.

President Trump made immigration enforcement a core promise to voters, and he had a mandate to act. The Laken Riley Act fit squarely inside that mandate. It was a signal that Washington might finally take the protection of American citizens seriously again.

Craig’s reversal does not change that. It just shows how quickly Democrats will abandon even the appearance of moderation when the left starts shouting.

Minnesota Is the Real Story

This is also a Minnesota story, not just a Washington one.

The state’s Democratic bench keeps drifting left, and the center of gravity in the party is no longer pretending otherwise. Candidates who once tried to sell themselves as practical problem-solvers now have to prove their loyalty to the most ideological voices in the room.

You can call that evolution if you want. You can also call it what it looks like: radicalization.

And when a so-called moderate Democrat feels compelled to apologize for supporting detention of illegal immigrants accused of crimes, the illusion gets harder to maintain.

What Voters Should Watch Next

Minnesota voters should pay attention to what Craig says from here.

Will she simply express regret? Or will she now campaign outright against the kind of immigration enforcement measures she once supported?

That distinction matters.

It also matters whether general election voters, especially outside the most progressive pockets of the state, are willing to go along with this lurch to the left. Primary activists may cheer it. Families who want safe communities might see it a little differently.

Further Reading

• Hot Air: Moving Ever Farther Left, Rep. Angie Craig Says She Regrets Voting for Laken Riley Act

• Minnesota Reformer: U.S. Rep. Angie Craig reverses herself on key immigration legislation, Laken Riley Act

• Star Tribune commentary by Angie Craig: ICE agent surge, Minnesota protests, federal enforcement

Craig’s reversal is useful for one reason. It strips away the branding. When the pressure hits, the Minnesota Democratic primary is not rewarding moderation, caution, or even basic common sense on public safety. It is rewarding whoever can run hardest to the left, fastest. That is the story.