DHS Urges Minnesota Leaders To Honor ICE Detainers, Alleges Hundreds Released Amid Tensions

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is urging Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to honor federal ICE arrest detainers for people in state custody, saying more than 1,360 criminal noncitizens are subject to detainers and alleging that nearly 470 were released onto Minneapolis streets.

DHS Claims and Local Pushback

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said state and city officials "refuse" to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and called on Walz and Frey to reverse what she described as a "dangerous policy." In a statement, McLaughlin said: "We are calling on Walz and Frey to stop this dangerous policy and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 1,360 criminal noncitizens in Minnesota’s custody."

The department highlighted recent arrests during a surge of operations in the Twin Cities and released names and charges of several noncitizens it described as among the "worst of the worst," including allegations of homicide, child sexual offenses, drug trafficking and other violent crimes.

State Response

Walz's office dismissed DHS's allegations as "categorically false," saying the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) "honors all federal and local detainers," notifies ICE of anticipated release dates, and coordinates transfers when ICE elects to take custody. The governor's office said there are currently 207 people in the Minnesota prison system subject to ICE detainers.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks during a press conference, following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.

The state also noted that individuals in DOC custody may be subject to multiple detainers or holds, and explained that if someone is released to an agency other than ICE, the ICE detainer remains active and the receiving agency is informed.

Legal And Political Context

The dispute comes amid heightened tensions after the fatal shooting of Renee Good during an encounter involving an ICE official. Mayor Frey publicly rebuked ICE officials and issued an executive order restricting their use of city property for operations. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison previously issued a legal opinion stating that state law bars state and local law enforcement from holding someone solely on the basis of an ICE civil detainer.

Federal Operations And Arrests

DHS has deployed thousands of federal immigration personnel to the Twin Cities to assist with enforcement actions, and officials say more personnel are expected. Public statements from federal leaders have mentioned plans that could include door-to-door efforts. Since the surge began, ICE has identified arrests of individuals accused or convicted of serious offenses; examples provided by DHS include:

• Leny Odemel Ramirez-Santos (Honduras) — charged with sex offenses against a child and DUI
• Edwin Amable Ashca Ninasuta (Ecuador) — charged with committing sexual acts with a minor
• Lenda Neh Mama Epse George (Cameroon) — charged with cruelty toward a child and domestic violence
• German Adriano Llangari Inga (Ecuador) — charged with homicide
• Puol Both (Sudan) — convicted of making terroristic threats and multiple burglaries
• Somsalao Thonesavanh (Laos) — convicted of drug trafficking and selling a synthetic narcotic

DHS officials also pointed to an earlier Northern Virginia case—where an individual with an outstanding detainer was released and later killed someone—as an example of the risks they say can follow when detainers are not honored.

Ongoing Dispute

The situation represents a clash between federal immigration enforcement priorities and state and local policies that limit cooperation with ICE detainers. The disagreement raises legal, operational and public-safety questions that are likely to continue as federal operations proceed and local officials respond.