U.S. Curler Voices Concerns Over Local Immigration Policies
Rich Ruohonen, a 54-year-old member of the U.S. Olympic curling team hailing from Minnesota, has recently stepped into the spotlight for using his platform at the Winter Olympics to express discontent with President Trump’s policies. On Tuesday, he engaged with reporters, specifically voicing his concerns regarding actions taken by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in his home state to apprehend undocumented individuals deemed as criminals.
“I want to say on behalf of Team USA, I’m proud to be here representing our country. But it would be remiss of me not to at least mention what’s going on in Minnesota,” Ruohonen stated, who is also a personal injury attorney. He added, “It’s been a tough time for everyone. Things like this are happening right near where we live.”
Many ICE operations in and around Minneapolis have involved the arrests of undocumented individuals, particularly those with felony warrants. However, these operations have faced interruptions from groups opposing ICE, who have attempted to disrupt these actions.
“As you know, I’m a lawyer. We have a constitution, and we have freedom of speech,” Ruohonen noted. “It protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures. And it would require probable cause to stop us. What’s happening in Minnesota is wrong. There are no shades of gray. That’s clear.”
He didn’t hold back in praising the activists protesting against ICE. “I really love what’s going on there right now. People are coming out and showing love, compassion, honesty, and respect to strangers and helping them,” he expressed.
“That’s why we love Minnesota…We love our country. We play for America. We play for each other, and we play for our families and friends who have sacrificed so much to get us here today,” he continued. Ruohonen also hinted that Team USA’s participation in the Olympics represents more than just competition.
“What the Olympics stands for is excellence, respect, and friendship, and I think we all embody that. We play for the people of Minnesota and people across the country who share the same values, compassion, love, and respect,” he concluded.
