Today’s column (gift link) provides an example of the challenge facing opinion writers like me. To persuade, one’s argument must be clear. You also have to reach people who don’t agree with you.
Today, we’re facing an unprecedented use of federal force to patrol a peaceful American state, my state. This action already caused needless death and massive trauma. This is wrong, and must stop.
But there is the practical reality that many people in this state, including a majority of my neighbors in northern Minnesota, don’t necessarily see it the same way. Some people support the immigration enforcement raids, even as others oppose them.
And then there is fraud, real fraud, that has actually occurred. It’s reasonable to address this.
Here I argue that what’s happening goes well beyond immigration policy and fraud. The federal government is attacking Minnesota on all fronts. Just because you support some of the reasons, doesn’t mean the tactics are right, or that you won’t be negatively affected yourself.
Case in point, childcare. You might not use federal childcare funding, but if your provider has clients who do, and closes as a result, you are affected. Even if you oppose such funding, holding back something authorized by Congress for political reasons is literally unconstitutional.
There are many culprits and broken systems involved. But we also cannot ignore the fact that fraud of any kind is now being lumped into a single story and blamed on a single person — a person who happens to be a high profile opponent of the president. A propaganda machine is in full swing.
Today I argue that the Trump Administration’s approach is all wrong. Yes, we must prevent fraud. But we must not punish working people and legal businesses because they are located in Minnesota. This is literally, and I do mean 100% literally, what happens to opposition parties and “rogue regions” in Russia.
It comes down to this: Are we going to fix the problems in our society, or make them worse? Right now, all problems are getting worse. Who benefits from that? Spend some time on that question.
Read “Trump’s child care funding freeze harms working people. Is anyone surprised?” in the Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
