“You do not strengthen America by importing the failures of the nation you left behind.”
Minnesota Republican state Sen. Michael Holmstrom has announced that he was taking up the fight against Sharia law in Minnesota through the formation of a new anti-Sharia law caucus in the State Senate.
The first-term senator explained that the Aug. 1 launch date was chosen because it represents the anniversary of the 1801 battle in which the U.S. Navy fought the Islamic Barbary pirates who enslaved Americans and demanded payment from American vessels.
“Around the world, governments have invoked Sharia law to justify atrocities,” Holmstrom said. “Women have been denied equal rights, religious minorities have been persecuted, apostasy and blasphemy have been punished, child marriage and rape have been tolerated or justified, and in some places, slavery has been justified under the guise of religious authority.”
He continued, explaining that these practices could not be aligned with American values.
“Those practices are fundamentally incompatible with the principles that define America — equal justice under the law, individual liberty, and the inherent dignity of every person,” he continued. “Minnesotans had very little say in the importation of this third-world political ideology. We can, however, now ensure that our judicial system remains firmly rooted in American constitutional law.”
The state senator then said that while he did not expect immigrants from Islamic countries to abandon their faith, he did expect assimilation.
“Assimilation is not oppression,” he said. “It is the foundation of a united nation. You do not strengthen America by importing the failures of the nation you left behind. Rather, you strengthen America by embracing our constitutional system that provides the values and freedoms we all share. That is the vision of this Sharia Free Minnesota Caucus.”
Caucus members have not yet been announced, but Holmstrom told Alpha News that the board is organizing and will make announcements to the public later. He said the caucus “will work to advance legislation that ensures Minnesota courts recognize one supreme legal authority — the Minnesota Constitution and the Constitution of the United States.”
The caucus is reminiscent of the Sharia Free American Caucus, which was founded by Rep. Chip Roy in the U.S. House of Representatives. The caucus was formed in 2025 and opposes the implementation of Sharia law in American government.
“Under Sharia law, there is no freedom of speech, religion, or women’s rights. Europe should be a wake-up call to America, showing what the spread of Sharia law looks like,” Roy said in a December 2025 press release. “America’s immigration system must brace to take on this battle, not only to preserve our constitutional republic but to take charge in the spiritual warfare and defend our Judeo-Christian values.”