Tuesday, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) wrote a letter demanding answers about the reported closure and sale of the Edward J. Devitt U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Fergus Falls. This courthouse serves as the only federal court outside of Minnesota’s largest metropolitan areas and houses critical law enforcement offices. In a letter to General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Stephen Ehikian and James C. Duff, Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the Senators raised concerns that shutting it down would restrict access to justice and disrupt public safety in western Minnesota.
“In addition to serving as the only federal courthouse outside Minnesota’s largest metropolitan areas of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth, the building is home to U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Probation Office. Each of the occupants of the Devitt Building provide essential services, including law enforcement and public safety, for the entire Western Minnesota region and along the northern border with Canada. With an abrupt and unplanned closure, these essential services will be disrupted, putting communities at risk,” wrote the Senators.
In the letter, they also raised concerns that GSA has not followed its own requirements for public engagement and proper planning before offloading federal property. They demanded transparency on whether the federal government intends to close the building and what steps, if any, are being taken to ensure continued access to justice and public safety services in the region.
