SD Democrats: Operation Prairie Thunder, a South Dakota/ICE joint venture, is more about politics than security
Larry Rhoden and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s escalation of Operation Prairie Thunder, announced Monday a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE).
South Dakota Highway Patrol officers, the Department of Corrections and six National Guard soldiers will be tasked with assisting federal immigration enforcement. These actions include helping ICE with administrative duties, deportations and the transfer of inmates for federal incarceration.
The two top Democratic state legislators argue that:
State resources are being diverted from South Dakota priorities to enforce a federal immigration agenda.
National Guard soldiers and Highway Patrol officers are being pulled away from public safety needs in their own communities.
Immigrant families, workers, and rural communities face fear and uncertainty, while workforce shortages, healthcare, and infrastructure challenges go unaddressed.
Civil liberties and due process protections risk being compromised by a system that now intertwines state law enforcement with federal immigration operations.
State Senate Minority Leader Liz Larson of District 10 said the operation doesn’t address real issues.
“This operation sends the wrong message to immigrant families across South Dakota. While I agree that we need to hold criminals accountable and be tough on crime, this goes too far. It is especially worrying given the well-documented concerns about how ICE is currently operating.
“The pursuit of undocumented migrants is also producing harmful consequences for our agricultural sector, which overwhelmingly employs hardworking immigrants — some documented, some not — who are not the intended targets of enforcement. They are not criminals. We should not overlook the economic consequences and fear this embeds across our state. South Dakota deserves leaders who focus on community safety through prevention, not political stunts.”
State House of Representatives Minority Leader Erin Healy of District 10 said there are other, more effective ways to spend state funds.
“I’m disappointed to see that our priorities are deeply misguided. We should be investing in people, not surveillance. Just last week, our state government slashed funding for families in poverty and now all of a sudden we have all these funds to throw at helicopters and state troopers in Sioux Falls. This is despite the falling crime statistics in the city.”
“Immigrants are essential to our state. They work in health care, food processing, agriculture, and small businesses. They raise families here. They pay taxes. This operation with ICE creates fear and uncertainty for immigrant families. When we turn state troopers and DOC agents into ICE enforcers, we’re not protecting anyone. We’re tearing families apart, hurting our economy, and damaging trust with law enforcement.
“Operation Prairie Thunder is not about safety — it’s about fear and is a political stunt. Our Democratic legislators oppose this initiative because we believe in real solutions that actually make our communities stronger and safer.”
This is a South Dakota Democratic Party statement. For more information, contact Executive Director Dan Ahlers at dan@sddp.org or 605-940-3071.
Photo: ICE agents making an arrest in Los Angeles, public domain, wikimedia commons
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