Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for governor of Minnesota, was repeatedly interrupted by members of the audience during a gubernatorial forum Wednesday after describing herself as a longtime supporter of border security and law enforcement.

The exchange occurred during the Farmfest governor panel, where Klobuchar shared the stage with Republican candidates Lisa Demuth, Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls ahead of next week's primary election.

Klobuchar is the presumptive DFL nominee.

The forum featured questions on a range of issues, including immigration, public safety and federal law enforcement. During one portion of the discussion, Klobuchar defended her record on border security and policing.

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“I’ve long believed and supported funding for order at the border, and I have worked well with law enforcement in Minnesota for years,” Klobuchar said.

Before she could continue, members of the audience began shouting and laughing, interrupting her remarks.

“Wow, wow,” Klobuchar responded as the crowd continued reacting.

She then pointed to her background as a prosecutor.

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“I ran the largest prosecutor’s office in the state, and was endorsed by police many, many times. So don’t,” she said before turning to a recent ICE-related incident involving Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Klobuchar criticized her Republican opponents for not condemning the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in that case.

“None of my opponents on this stage condemned what ICE did. Not a word, not a word. Two innocent people were killed, shot in the back. We had many people arrested when they weren’t supposed to be arrested, and we all know that. And we need reform to ICE,” Klobuchar said.

Her comments prompted another response from portions of the audience as the discussion shifted to federal spending on immigration enforcement.

Klobuchar argued that Congress should not have approved additional funding for ICE, saying the money would be better spent on domestic programs.

“I did not support that. I think that 70 billion extra dollars should go to you for your health care. That money should go to you for your housing, and it should go to you for your child care,” she said while addressing the crowd.

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The exchange became one of the most animated moments of the forum as audience members continued reacting to her answers on immigration and public safety.

Farmfest has long served as a gathering place for Minnesota political candidates seeking statewide office, giving voters an opportunity to hear competing visions ahead of elections.

This year's governor panel brought together Klobuchar and three Republican contenders who are competing in next week's Republican primary.

The immigration discussion highlighted clear differences between the candidates on border security and the role of federal immigration enforcement.

Klobuchar maintained that she has consistently supported border security while also advocating changes to ICE and opposing additional funding for the agency.

She argued that federal resources should instead be directed toward health care, housing and child care.

The audience response suggested that at least some attendees were skeptical of Klobuchar's characterization of her record, with repeated boos, laughter and interruptions occurring throughout her remarks on immigration and law enforcement.

The gubernatorial race has also drawn national attention following President Donald Trump's endorsement of Republican candidate Mike Lindell.

Trump has publicly backed Lindell's campaign for governor and has also criticized Klobuchar.

Trump previously described Klobuchar as a “lightly respected” senator and said she was “equally as incompetent as Walz, and probably equally as corrupt in that.”

With the Republican primary scheduled for next week, the Farmfest forum provided one of the final opportunities for the candidates to present their positions before voters cast their ballots.

Immigration, border security and public safety emerged as central issues during the event, with Klobuchar's comments producing one of the strongest reactions from the audience.

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