The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, accused Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey of refusing to honor more than 1,360 ICE detainers and said federal agents detained roughly 10,000 people in Minneapolis in recent months. DHS urged local leaders to stop releasing those with federal detainers, framing it as a public-safety issue. The enforcement actions and a broad fraud probe sparked protests and intensified after the Jan. 7 shooting of protester Renee Good, an incident officials and critics describe very differently. Mayor Frey said the federal presence has made some residents feel targeted rather than safer.
DHS Secretary Noem Criticizes Walz and Frey Over 1,360 ICE Detainers as Minneapolis Tensions Rise
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announces that he would not be seeking reelection Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.(Getty Images)
The Department of Homeland Security on Monday sharply rebuked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for declining to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, saying local officials are releasing people for whom U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued detainers.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X that federal agents have detained roughly 10,000 undocumented individuals in Minneapolis in recent months and said ICE holds more than 1,360 arrest detainers for people currently in local custody. In her post, Noem accused the governor and mayor of protecting criminals rather than residents and urged them to begin honoring federal detainers.
Minnesota has been rocked by a massive fraud scandal stretching back to the pandemic that prosecutors speculate could total billions of dollars.
"We are calling on [Walz] and [Frey] to stop releasing criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota's jails to re-perpetuate their crimes. ICE has more than 1,360 arrest detainers for the criminal illegal aliens in their custody," DHS wrote in a statement.
Minneapolis is considered a sanctuary jurisdiction, and local law enforcement does not routinely honor federal immigration detainers. The DHS statement framed their request as a public-safety issue: "It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans," the department added.
The federal enforcement activity follows a broad fraud investigation that led to dozens of arrests, many involving members of Minneapolis' Somali community, and the deployment of federal officers to the city in early January. The situation escalated after the Jan. 7 shooting death of protester Renee Good during an encounter with a federal agent; federal authorities say the agent fired in self-defense after Good allegedly used her vehicle as a weapon, while critics and some local officials have called the shooting unjustified and labeled it a murder.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a roundtable in the State Dining Room of the White House on Wednesday Oct. 8, 2025.
Mayor Frey rejected the Trump administration's characterization of the federal response during an interview on CBS' Face the Nation, saying the large federal presence has left some communities feeling targeted rather than safer.
"This is not about safety. What this is about is coming into our city by the thousands and terrorizing people simply because they're Latino or Somali," Frey said. "People in Minneapolis are speaking up peacefully and standing up for their neighbors."
The dispute has fueled protests and a national debate about the role of federal immigration enforcement in local jurisdictions, balancing public-safety concerns with immigrant-community relations and civil-rights considerations. Reporting for the original story included contributions from Fox News reporter Emma Colton.
Help us improve.
