Pete Stauber, Republican U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 8th District, said recent confrontations involving federal immigration agents in the Twin Cities are connected to statements by local officials and called for governance that upholds legal processes during enforcement operations.
“when twin cities politicians spew hateful rhetoric about our law enforcement for months, it gives their constituencies permission to violently attack my brothers and sisters in uniform,” said Peter Allen Stauber, U.S. Representative of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District (R). “the events of today are the result. minnesotans deserve leadership that respects the rule of law and encourages deescalation and cooperation.”
According to Stauber, he posted on X linking to news coverage of recent federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis. He said that comments from local leaders have contributed to confrontations with federal agents and advocated for approaches that uphold lawful procedures during such operations.
In Minnesota, immigration enforcement operations have faced opposition, including an incident where an agent shot a Venezuelan man in the leg after he allegedly assaulted an officer with a shovel during a stop. This event followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, which intensified local demonstrations. Officials noted increased tensions due to prior incidents involving federal personnel.
Nationally, assaults on ICE officers surged over 1,300 percent from 2025 to early 2026, with 275 reported cases compared to 19 previously. Vehicular attacks against agents also rose by 3,200 percent to 66 cases. Federal data linked these trends to statements from certain policymakers influencing public responses.
Stauber was born on May 10, 1966, in Duluth, Minnesota. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Lake Superior State University and had a brief career in minor-league hockey before joining the Duluth Police Department, where he served until 2017. As a Republican, he represented St. Louis County on the commission before his election to Congress in 2018.