Minnesota state Sen. Nathan Wesenberg accused state Democrats of fueling unrest in the streets by what he described as importing votes and not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
In a Monday morning interview on Newsmax's "National Report," the Republican lawmaker said Minnesota's problems begin with the voter rolls – not with the rhetoric from the governor's office.
"I heard [Gov.] Tim Walz say that this has nothing to do with our voter rolls," Wesenberg said. "That's where it all begins.
"We imported these people from around the world illegally and, in Minnesota, you can vouch for up to eight people. So, I myself, as a citizen, can say that these other eight people can vote.
"So, we've done this. We've helped them commit fraud to get votes."
He then tied those claims to public-safety concerns, arguing Minnesota's detention practices force Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to pick up criminal illegal aliens on the streets.
"We don't keep them in jails in Minnesota," Wesenberg said. "We let them out and [they're] roaming the streets.
"That's why ICE has to go find them in the streets," he added, contrasting Minnesota with states where, he said, federal authorities can arrest suspects inside prisons.
The resulting turmoil is not accidental, Wesenberg said, but a deliberate diversion.
"What they're doing is chaos that they've engineered," he said, contending the disorder is meant to distract voters from alleged fraud.
Minnesota "was never like this," Wesenberg said, adding that residents outside the Twin Cities area want "law and order."
"We want our state back," he said. "It's very frustrating to see what's going on. People don't want to see this.
"People don't want illegals here, and I say to the people that say we should have open borders, well, if you're willing to have these people come into your house, then why don't you open your door, feed them your food, give them your bank account, let them sleep on your couch, take these people into your homes, and if you want them here, you should do that."
The state senator said Minnesota "can't afford that" and said the state needs things "that are going to help people live in harmony with each other.
"These people that we're importing … and I use Somalia as an example, they have tribal mentalities and they literally don't care about fraud. They're coming here and they think it's great.
"They're stealing our money and they're doing what's best for them. That's not how we operate in a civilized world."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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