President Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz about rising tensions over federal immigration enforcement in the state, describing the call as “very good.”
Anti-ICE protests have escalated in the Minneapolis area in recent weeks following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was killed by Border Patrol agents during an immigration enforcement operation, and the earlier shooting death of Renee Good, as the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge has resulted in thousands of arrests. Earlier on Monday, Trump said that border czar Tom Homan would head to Minnesota to take charge of the federal government’s response.
“Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota. It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” he wrote.
“I told Governor Walz that I would have Tom Homan call him, and that what we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession. The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future. He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!” he continued.
The president went on to highlight cities where an increased federal law enforcement presence has produced results and extended an olive branch to the Democratic governor, who was his party’s vice presidential nominee in 2024.
“We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have ‘touched’ and, even in Minnesota, Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!” Trump added.
Gov. Walz’s office confirmed to The Daily Wire that it was a “productive” call, adding that they want “impartial investigations” of the recent fatal shootings and fewer federal agents in the state.
“The President agreed that he would talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, as would ordinarily be the case,” the statement said. “The President also agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals.”
“The Governor reminded President Trump that the Minnesota Department of Corrections already honors federal detainers by notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person committed to its custody isn’t a U.S. citizen. There is not a single documented case of the department’s releasing someone from state prison without offering to ensure a smooth transfer of custody,” the statement continued, as DHS has said that roughly 1,360 detainers have not been honored. Fox News reported that Walz’s statement does not point out that the detainer issue is primarily with city and county jails in Minnesota, and that ICE is seeking to prevent illegal immigrants from going back into the community after an arrest.
The comments from the president are an abrupt shift from last week, when he wrote that Walz and Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey “are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!” The president also pointed out that Minnesota Democrats have faced intense political scrutiny over Medicaid fraud scandals plaguing the state.
“Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America,” Trump added.
Gov. Walz announced last month that he would not seek a third term amid debate and concerns over alleged fraud.
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