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By Sydney Kashiwagi

Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune

Hello and welcome back to another D.C. Dish!  

ICE DETENTIONS: Minnesota universities continued to search for answers after a second student was detailed by ICE, my colleague Maya Rao reports.  

Edward Inch, president of Minnesota State University, Mankato, said the Mankato student, who is a Turkish citizen, was detained by ICE on Friday. No reason was given.

The Mankato student’s detention comes after an international student studying at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management was detained by ICE last week.  

The detentions follow a trend of the administration of President Donald Trump reportedly detaining and deporting student activists who have protested against Israel and supported Palestinians.   

KLOBUCHAR SEEKING ANSWERS: Unlike criminal arrests, immigration arrests are not documented in publicly available reports, Rao writes. But she noted that Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office is working to get more information about the detentions from ICE. Read what we know here. 

NOT FOR SALE: Meanwhile, the Trump administration revised a list of federal buildings it's seeking to sell over the next several years, removing eight offices in Minnesota that were initially targeted by the cost-slashing effort, my colleague Briana Bierschbach reports.

The General Services Administration released a new version of the list last week that included only eight buildings in total and asked interested buyers to submit nonbinding term sheets to the agency. An earlier version had more than 400 buildings, but it was quickly removed by GSA. 

WHAT WAS ON THE LIST? The earlier list included the Paul D. Wellstone building in Minneapolis, the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a historic courthouse in Fergus Falls and two Social Security Administration offices. Read more.

Photo courtesy of Rose Thelan

WHERE'S EMMER? A billboard calling for Rep. Tom Emmer to hold a town hall has gone up along the Hwy. 25 exit on eastbound I-94. The billboard was put up by members of the left-leaning Wright County and North Metro Indivisible groups, which have been urging the House majority whip to hold a town hall as Trump's first months in the White House have unfolded. 

It took the group about a week to raise $6,000 to put the electronic billboard up last week. They said they got no response from Emmer to a list of questions they sent him following a town hall the group held on its own without him. 

Wright County Indivisible member Rose Thelen said the group plans to keep the billboards up "for as long as we can raise the funds for it." She also said the group is planning a protest outside Emmer's Otsego district office and said that they're also willing to "come to D.C. if necessary."

There is also a similar billboard in Ham Lake on Hwy. 65.

EMMER TO HOLD TELE-TOWN HALL: Emmer's office did not respond to requests for comment about the billboards, but he announced Tuesday morning that he will hold a telephone town hall on Wednesday night. 

“Being transparent and accessible to our constituents is always a top priority. Telephone town halls are an excellent platform to engage with thousands of Minnesotans while we are in Washington working on their behalf,” Emmer said in a statement. 

The town hall will take place at 5:30 p.m. (Minnesota time) on April 2. Those interested can call 833-425-1492 to join.

VIRTUAL GOP TOWN HALLS: While we're on the topic of town halls, GOP Reps. Michelle Fischbach, Brad Finstad and Pete Stauber all held telephone town halls last week. Stauber said his was attended by 17,000 people, Fischbach said hers was attended by 14,000 people, while Finstad said his was attended by nearly 5,000. 

NEW LEADERSHIP IN CD7: Fischbach staffer Craig Bishop was ousted as GOP chair in the Seventh Congressional District over the weekend, losing to Army veteran Bret Bussman. 

Bussman's victory comes as conservative party infighting has plagued CD7 for the last several years. Otter Tail County activists have clashed with local party leaders and have tried to oust Fischbach in the past, whom they view as an establishment Republican politician. 

BOOSTED BY OTTER TAIL DELEGATES: Bussman said Otter Tail delegates backed him over Bishop and that their support for him was "pivotal" in his win. The grassroots group recently expanded its number of delegates to 37, Bussman said, adding that the party also voted as a group to "support whatever they decided to do."

"Here in [CD7], this Otter Tail thing has split us pretty much down the middle," Bussman said. 

BUSSMAN TO BACK FISCHBACH: Despite the group's past criticism of Fischbach, Bussman said he plans to back her in her re-election bid. "I voted for her last time and I'll vote for her again."

Bussman said he plans to work on "healing relationships" in the local party and will hold its first executive meeting on Thursday, where they will discuss their "path forward."

BENSON RELECTED IN CD6: In the Sixth District, Bobby Benson was re-elected party chair. Like Bishop, he is a staffer of a Republican member of Congress (for Emmer), which has earned him criticism from conservative activist group Action for Liberty. 

Benson's win comes after he put forth a motion earlier this month to condemn the group for publicly doxing volunteers that didn't agree with them. Though the Republican Party of Minnesota's executive committee passed Benson's motion, Chair Alex Plechash and Deputy Chair Donna Bergstrom both abstained from the vote. 

"The MNGOP has long abandoned its base and to a large extent the liberty policies its base cares about," AFL leader Erik Mortensen said in an email, blaming Emmer for ordering Benson to condemn AFL and its supporters.

Minnesota Star Tribune

ELLISON ENDORSES FLANAGAN: Attorney General Keith Ellison threw his support behind Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, whom he's known for about 20 years, in her run for Senate. 

“After 12 years in Congress, I can tell you this is a time when we need leaders in Washington who have the guts to stand up and fight for us. My friend Peggy Flanagan has never backed down from a fight,” Ellison said in a statement. “Peggy is a pragmatic progressive with a record of critical wins for families across Minnesota. Peggy will be the Senator that Minnesotans – and frankly Americans – can count on to be their voice in Washington.” 

CLOSING THE DOOR ON SENATE RUN: Ellison's endorsement means he isn't running for the job. Before his endorsement, he was mulling a run for the retiring Sen. Tina Smith's seat. 

As Flanagan notches endorsements, Rep. Angie Craig, who's also seriously considering a run, indicated she's more interested in running for Senate than for governor. 

As she waits, Republicans are keeping a close watch on her seat. Emmer recently said he's hopeful the GOP will be able to pick up her seat if she makes a move for another office, predicting she'll run for governor. 

Meanwhile, far right Republican and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said he's considering a run for governor.

Gov. Tim Walz is set to attend the AFSCME Day on the Hill today at 2 pm. 

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