On a Friday visit to the Twin Cities touting recent activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took aim at state and local Democratic leaders for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
Standing with immigration officials behind large bags of methamphetamine, cocaine, and dozens of firearms seized in what ICE said were recent enforcement actions in the Twin Cities, Noem told reporters gathered in the federal building at Fort Snelling that an ongoing immigration crackdown under Republican President Donald Trump is making Minnesota and the U.S. safer.
Since January of this year, ICE has removed more than 4,300 people in the U.S. illegally in the state of Minnesota, according to ICE. Of that number, 3,316 had criminal histories and 98 were gang members, Noem claimed.
Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, called on state leaders to help federal authorities enforce immigration laws and accused Gov. Tim Walz and Twin Cities leaders of shielding people present in the U.S. illegally.
“We don’t decide which law gets enforced and which one doesn’t. They are laws, they are on the books. They were put in place, voted on, and instituted. And therefore, we enforce them all. If members of Congress, senators, governors don’t like the law, then they should go through the work of changing them.”
Some describe St. Paul and Minneapolis as “sanctuary cities” because they have local laws that limit cooperation between law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.
Minnesota itself does not have a sanctuary policy barring cooperation with immigration authorities, something Walz told Republican members of Congress when he and other Democratic governors were summoned to testify on their states’ immigration policies in May.
Still, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans view Walz as uncooperative on immigration and have pointed to Attorney General Keith Ellison’s opinion that Minnesota can’t enforce immigration detainers if an individual can otherwise be released from custody.
When the Trump Department of Justice sued Minnesota over “sanctuary” policies in September, its lawsuit mentioned the detainer policy and that Minnesota does not share driver’s license data with immigration enforcement.
“I don’t know how he sleeps at night,” Noem said of Walz. “I don’t know how he goes to bed knowing that he’s letting these people walk these streets and there can be more victims the next day. I hope that the next family who loses their child to the drugs that are on this table or illegal weapons that are on the streets doesn’t have to put up with a governor like that.”
Besides an update on ICE activities in Minnesota since Trump took office in January, Noem did not share any substantial updates on immigration enforcement in Minnesota during her Friday appearance before the press at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building.
“It appears that this visit was perhaps more about pulling a political stunt than about solving a problem,” Walz’s office said in a statement.
Asked by a reporter whether the Trump administration would send National Guard soldiers to Minnesota as he has to other states ostensibly for public safety reasons, Noem would not answer, saying the decision ultimately lies with the president.
However, Noem said Minnesota could expect additional ICE agents to join existing efforts in the state as the Department of Homeland Security continues its push to hire 10,000 new officers nationwide — doubling its workforce.
During the news conference, a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the federal building to protest Noem’s visit and Trump’s unprecedented immigration crackdown. Protesters chanted “Say it loud, say it clear: Immigrants are welcome here” and carried signs comparing ICE to secret police services like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union’s KGB.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey both used Noem’s visit as an opportunity to reinforce to the public their commitment to protecting immigrant communities in their cities.
“We’re aware ICE and federal agents are in the Twin Cities ahead of Kristi Noem’s speech today,” Carter said in a statement on social media. “Though we’re not aware of planned enforcement activity, I share your concerns … (St. Paul Police Department) will not participate in immigration enforcement.”
Frey made his remarks in a video statement posted to the city of Minneapolis’ YouTube channel.
“In Minneapolis, we don’t back down from our values, we stand with our immigrant neighbors,” Frey said. “In Minneapolis, we have your back. You will be protected and respected by our City employees, regardless of your immigration status.”
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