Minnesota Olympian Discuss ICE Back Home ‘A Tough Time For Everybody’

A Minnesota Olympian took a moment at a press conference at the Olympics to draw attention to what's going on in Minnesota. On Tuesday, February 10th, the curlers were speaking at a press conference. At the end, the moderator asked if anyone had anything to say before it was over. Rich Ruohonen did.

Ruohonen is an attorney from Minnesota who is appearing in his first Olympics. He's already set a record as the oldest curler to represent the United States in the Winter games at age 54.

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USA TODAY shares his words from the press conference, where he called what's happening in Minnesota wrong.

"I'm proud to be here to represent Team USA, and to represent our country. But we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been for everybody. This stuff is happening right, right around where we live,"

Ruhonen continued his criticism of the US Department of Homeland Security and ICE, saying there is no grey area in the law.

"I am a lawyer, as you know, and we have a constitution," Ruohonen continued, "and it allows us to (have) freedom of press, freedom of speech, protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures, and makes it that we have to have probable cause to be pulled over. And what's happening in Minnesota is wrong. There's no shades of grey. It's clear."

He went on to praise the people of Minnesota and said that they are playing for those people in Minnesota and around the country who share the "same values, compassion, love, and respect."