On April 28, 2025, the Minot Police Department arrested 32-year-old Delino Deshields Nelson of Fort Worth, Texas, at a hotel in northwest Minot. Officers, responding to an unrelated call around 2:30 p.m., received information about Nelson’s possible location. Upon confirming through the National Crime Information Center that Nelson had a full extradition warrant from Tarrant County, Texas, for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon—stemming from an incident where he allegedly shot a woman—officers located and arrested him without incident. Nelson is currently held at the Ward County Jail pending extradition to Texas.
On April 29, 2025, Representative Jeremy Olson (R-District 26, Arnegard) resigned as North Dakota House Majority Caucus Leader, citing time constraints and professional obligations. In his resignation letter to House Republican leadership, Olson stated that the demands of caucus leadership during the interim, combined with his employment commitments, made it “not feasible” to continue. His departure leaves the Republican caucus without a floor leader as lawmakers approach the final days of the 2025 legislative session, prompting an expedited effort to name a successor before adjournment. Olson’s resignation comes amid heightened tensions following the Ray Holmberg revelations and ongoing legislative challenges, including debates over a property tax bill.
On April 28, 2025, President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at penalizing “sanctuary cities”—jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The orders direct the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to publish a list of such jurisdictions, which will then be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget to identify federal funds, including grants and contracts, that could be suspended or terminated. The administration views these local policies as a “lawless insurrection” against federal law. Additionally, the orders seek to curtail federal benefits to undocumented immigrants and provide legal support and national security resources to law enforcement officials enforcing immigration laws. These actions come amid ongoing legal challenges; notably, a federal judge recently blocked the administration from withholding federal funds from 16 sanctuary cities, citing constitutional concerns.
On April 29, 2025, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong signed three bipartisan criminal justice reform bills aimed at reducing incarceration rates and facilitating successful reintegration for former inmates. The legislation includes House Bill 1425, which allocates $1 million for pilot programs in three counties to divert individuals from the criminal justice system through mental health and substance abuse services. House Bill 1417 eliminates supervision fees for those on probation, addressing financial burdens that often lead to re-incarceration. House Bill 1549 establishes a grant program to support local jails in developing reentry services, such as assisting individuals in obtaining identification and accessing healthcare. These reforms, developed in collaboration with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Health and Human Services, aim to create effective “off-ramps” from the justice system, reduce recidivism, and improve public safety.
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Federal agents interviewed Jim Poolman, a Fargo businessman and former Republican lawmaker who chairs the University of North Dakota Alumni Association and Foundation, regarding his association with former North Dakota Sen. Ray Holmberg. In a Facebook post on April 28, 2025, Poolman disclosed that Homeland Security agents spoke with him for about 30 minutes in September 2023, inquiring about Holmberg’s “associates and activities.” Poolman stated he had no knowledge of Holmberg’s criminal behavior and had not received any communications suggesting such conduct. Holmberg was sentenced to 10 years in prison after admitting to traveling to Prague multiple times between 2011 and 2016 with plans to sexually abuse children.
