By Blois Olson, morning take

“MORE: Via Rep. Ilhan Omar, her letter to DHS on ‘racial profiling’ is available online. Omar also joined Reps. Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison and Betty McCollum in a second letter to DHS regarding Temporary Protected Status.”

By Allison Kite, The Minnesota Star Tribune

“McCollum condemns ICE arrest. Rep. Betty McCollum condemned Tuesday's ICE arrest of a Somali American man who was forcefully detained by authorities before he was released, my colleague Sydney Kashiwagi reports.

Mubashir, a Somali immigrant, said he was detained despite telling agents he was a U.S. citizen. He was taken to Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling and placed in a jail cell before he was released two hours later.

‘The appalling incident in Minneapolis Tuesday confirms that the Trump administration is unlawfully profiling Minnesotans who look Somali and arresting them on the spot, including American citizens,’ McCollum said in a statement.”

By Mshale

“As President Trump brings his immigration raids to Minnesota, specifically targeting the Somali community, in what the Department of Homeland Security is calling Operation Metro Surge, Congresswomen Betty McCollum and Ilhan Omar have published “Know Your Rights” guides on their official congressional pages to help constituents affected know their rights, and how to exercise them.”

By Clay Masters and Megan Burks, MPR News

“Those affected typically would have come to the U.S. as students or visitors and overstayed their visas because of military rule and civil war back home. Ending protected status means they could be deported.

That could include more than 1,000 Minnesotans, according to U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum. McCollum co-chairs the congressional Burma Caucus.”

By Blois Olson, morning take

“MCCOLLUM: via a Rep. Betty McCollum statement, McCOLLUM: ‘The footage of the September 2nd boat strike in the Caribbean was deeply alarming and calls into question the Trump Administration’s respect for the laws of armed conflict. … Congress has a responsibility to fully investigate not only the September 2nd strike but the Trump Administration’s entire operation in the Caribbean.’”

By Felicity Dachel

“WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to ‘stop racially targeting the Somali community.’

Her letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem comes as President Trump has increasingly targeted the Somali community, this week saying they are ‘garbage’ and ‘have destroyed Minnesota.’”

Tom Hauser and Morgan Reddekopp, KSTP

“Late Wednesday afternoon, Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum sent a letter to Noem demanding answers and criticizing her for demonizing Somalis in Minnesota. ‘I write to express my outrage at the Trump Administration’s deliberate targeting of the Somali community in Minnesota,” she says in her letter. ‘The President’s escalating racist attacks calling members of the Somali community ‘garbage’ are vile, abhorrent and below the dignity of the Oval Office.’

McCollum then poses a number of questions she wants answered.

‘The vast majority of Minnesota’s Somali community are U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents,’ she writes. ‘How will you ensure that American citizens are not wrongly targeted, harassed or criminalized by the Department of Homeland Security?’

McCollum says she wants answers to her series of questions by Dec.12.”

By Chris Magan, The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum responded to reports that the Trump administration will target Minnesota Somalis. 

‘Somali Americans are a valued part of our community. President Trump calling fellow human beings ‘garbage’ is not only beneath the office but calls into question his capacity to serve all Americans,’ McCollum said in a statement. ‘Trump’s ugly attacks on the Somali community do not reflect the views of our state, nor the reality of the contributions Somalis make every day. They are elected officials at the federal, state and local levels. They are business leaders, teachers, nurses, ride share drivers, neighbors, and friends. We will not be divided. We are One Minnesota.’”

By Ana Radelat, MinnPost

“At a press conference this week at the state Capitol, Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum, D-4^th District, and Ilhan Omar, D-5^th District, who was born in Somalia, decried the ‘fearmongering’ by Trump and state Republicans against the Somali community. McCollum said ‘an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.’

‘Back to late Friday night, when (Trump) hurled ugly late-night threats against Minnesota’s Somali community,’ McCollum said. ‘You have to ask yourself why. It’s because Trump and Republicans are doing nothing to address the real crises facing us as Americans. The U.S. economy is in shambles, the cost of living is soaring, Trump and Republicans have created a health care crisis, and they’ve failed to deliver essential heating assistance for Minnesotans this winter.’”

By Christopher Magan, The Minnesota Star Tribune

“‘If Burma is unsafe for American visitors, it is certainly unsafe for those who have fled the country and been given protected status,’ U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum said in a statement. The Democrat is a longtime advocate for Minnesota’s Karen population and co-chair of the Burma caucus.

She added that the administration should reverse its decision and ‘continue to deploy sanctions on the junta and its supporters.’

The protections were granted to Myanmar refugees in 2021, after a military coup and civil war. The country is now run by a military dictatorship with a history of violence against opponents.

‘The notion that there will be free and fair elections under the military junta in Burma is preposterous,’ McCollum said.”

By Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment

“Meanwhile, during a House Appropriations Committee markup in September, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) criticized the exclusion of provisions to protect banks that work with state-licensed marijuana and hemp businesses from a key spending bill.”

By KSTP

“U.S. Reps. Betty McCollum and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, St. Paul Mayor-elect Kaohly Her, members of the Minnesota Legislature and community activists spoke out against Trump’s actions and urged support of the Somali community during Monday’s event at the State Capitol.”

By Sydney Kashiwagi, The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Dems condemn remarks. Trump's remarks drew quick condemnation from Democrats, who said Trump was inciting political violence. ‘Political violence is unacceptable. President Trump’s death threats against Democratic Members of Congress are dangerous and wrong,’ Rep. Betty McCollum said in an X post. “

By Marc Rod, Jewish Insider

“Other signatories to the letter included Jewish Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Becca Balint (D-VT) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), as well as Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Cleo Fields (D-LA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Troy Carter (D-LA), Emily Randall (D-WA) and Joe Courtney (D-CT).”

By Ana Radelat, MinnPost

“Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4^th District, said the Justice Department’s failure to comply with a congressional subpoena seeking Epstein-related information prompted her to vote for the bill.

McCollum, however, also expressed skepticism that the public will ever know everything about Epstein and his sexual predator friends. ‘I’m concerned that with this vote it won’t be released,’ McCollum said. ‘Who knows what excuse (Trump) will come up with next.’”

By Sydney Kashiwagi, The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Rep. Betty McCollum said Trump has the power to make the Epstein files public right away.

‘If he means what he says now, then he should direct the Department of Justice to release the files immediately,’ she said in a statement.”

By The Guardian

“[Betty McCollum, Minnesota’s 4th, Yes]”

By Martín González Gómez, Karen Yourish, Elena Shao and Alicia Parlapiano, The New York Times

“[Betty McCollum, Minn. 4th, YES]”

By Blois Olson, morning take

“REAX: DFL Rep. Betty McCollum and GOP Rep. Brad Finstad both praised the new Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub in Minnesota.

● McCOLLUM: ‘Minnesota’s leadership in commercial and dual-use technologies can deliver cost-effective solutions with tangible benefits to both economic and national security. … [This is] an important new asset for convening stakeholders with a professional staff dedicated to engaging Minnesota’s incredible innovators and working to accelerate the adoption of important new technologies for national defense.’”

By Sydney Kashiwagi, The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Rep. Betty McCollum said it was ‘appalling’ that Republicans delayed the vote for months.

‘Now, the President has totally reversed his position on the release of the Epstein Files,’ she said. ‘If he means what he says, then he can instruct the Department of Justice to release them.’”