Headshot of Minnesota Reformer reporter, Madison McVan

Madison McVan

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Madison McVan is a reporter at the Minnesota Reformer, covering the impact of the Trump administration on Minnesotans, including issues like immigration, agriculture, Medicaid, food, housing and other safety net cuts. She's also covering the 2026 Minnesota U.S. Senate race. Prior to joining the Reformer, she wrote about labor and environmental issues in the agriculture industry for Investigate Midwest. She moved to the Twin Cities in 2020 after graduating from the University of Missouri with degrees in journalism and Latin American studies. She's bilingual.

DOJ drops assault charges against St. Paul man who ICE agents shot at in December
Minnesota

DOJ drops assault charges against St. Paul man who ICE agents shot at in December

Jun 09, 2026
Madison McVan
Federal prosecutors dropped charges against Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero, a St. Paul man who immigration agents shot at on Dec. 21. The agents on the scene and the Department of Homeland Security accused Rodriguez Romero of ramming agents with his...
Tenían permiso para vivir y trabajar en Minnesota. Luego, fueron arrestados por agentes migratorios
Minnesota

Tenían permiso para vivir y trabajar en Minnesota. Luego, fueron arrestados por agentes migratorios

May 27, 2026
Madison McVan
Read this story in English. Willi Rondón fue arrestado hace casi seis meses por agentes migratorios en el estacionamiento de su apartamento. Su esposa, Génesis Mendoza, iba en el asiento del pasajero. Su hijo de 2 años iba atrás. Rondón...
The government gave these Minnesota immigrants permission to live and work here — then detained them
Minnesota

The government gave these Minnesota immigrants permission to live and work here — then detained them

May 22, 2026
Madison McVan
Lea este informe en español. Willi Rondon was arrested in his apartment parking lot by immigration agents nearly six months ago. His wife, Genesis Mendoza, was in the passenger seat and their 2-year-old son in the back. Rondon didn’t get...
House Speaker Lisa Demuth protected by ‘red flag’ law she voted against
Minnesota

House Speaker Lisa Demuth protected by ‘red flag’ law she voted against

May 16, 2026
Madison McVan
A woman alleged to have threatened Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, had her guns confiscated by way of a 2023 “red flag” law, which allows for the temporary removal of firearms from people deemed to be a risk...
An ICE officer shot at a St. Paul man in December. The agents’ stories don’t add up.
Minnesota

An ICE officer shot at a St. Paul man in December. The agents’ stories don’t add up.

May 14, 2026
Madison McVan
These are the facts most everyone agrees on: Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero pulled out of his apartment complex to start a DoorDash shift on the icy roads of St. Paul four days before Christmas, during the early stages of Operation...
Senate passes bill reining in homeowners’ associations
Minnesota

Senate passes bill reining in homeowners’ associations

May 06, 2026
Madison McVan
A bipartisan bill limiting homeowners’ association fees, implementing new transparency and conflict-of-interest rules and establishing a path to dissolve some HOAs passed the Minnesota Senate Wednesday. The bill ( SF1750 ) now heads to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk for final...
Report: VA investigated employees who spoke publicly about Alex Pretti
Minnesota

Report: VA investigated employees who spoke publicly about Alex Pretti

May 05, 2026
Madison McVan
In the days following the Border Patrol killing of Alex Pretti, his colleagues at Department of Veterans Affairs clinics and hospitals across the country held vigils in his honor. The VA opened investigations into multiple staffers who attended the vigils...
Report: Guards increasingly using force inside ICE detention centers
Minnesota

Report: Guards increasingly using force inside ICE detention centers

May 04, 2026
Madison McVan
As immigrant detention centers have become increasingly crowded as a result of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, guards are more frequently using force against detainees, according to a Washington Post investigation published Monday. The Post reviewed hundreds of internal...
Trump administration sues Minnesota over attempts to rein in fossil fuel producers
Minnesota

Trump administration sues Minnesota over attempts to rein in fossil fuel producers

May 04, 2026
Madison McVan
The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of Minnesota and Attorney General Keith Ellison Monday, asking a federal judge to toss out the state’s lawsuit against petroleum companies. Ellison’s office sued Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, Flint Hills Resources and...
Feds serve 22 search warrants related to fraud investigations
Minnesota

Feds serve 22 search warrants related to fraud investigations

Apr 28, 2026
Madison McVan
Federal agents raided 22 locations in the Twin Cities Tuesday as part of ongoing investigations into fraud in Minnesota’s public programs. The sites included autism service providers that received payments through Medicaid, according to a statement from the Minnesota Department...
FAA drops ban on drones near DHS operations following Minnesota photojournalist’s lawsuit
Minnesota

FAA drops ban on drones near DHS operations following Minnesota photojournalist’s lawsuit

Apr 17, 2026
Madison McVan
The Federal Aviation Administration this week walked back a rule barring drone flights within 3,000 feet of Department of Homeland Security buildings and vehicles. The government’s retreat comes a month after a Minnesota photojournalist sued the aviation agency with help...
Ramsey County investigating five cases of potential crimes by federal officials during Metro Surge
Minnesota

Ramsey County investigating five cases of potential crimes by federal officials during Metro Surge

Apr 13, 2026
Madison McVan
Ramsey County authorities are investigating federal officers for potential crimes committed during Operation Metro Surge — including kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice have so far refused to cooperate by...