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The Conversation
Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies

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

Protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement march through Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 25, 2026. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

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 and local law has been violated.

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