The FBI and the Homeland Security Department executed raids in the Twin Cities on Tuesday morning, targeting numerous Somali-owned businesses as part of the Trump administration&#8217;s crackdown on fraud.
Federal agents obtained court-approved search warrants for more than 20 different locations in the Minneapolis area, Fox News <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2049107291681468871">reported</a>. Most of the search warrants are for businesses connected to Somalis, including the infamous Quality &#8220;Learing&#8221; Center that was at the center of controversy late last year.
&#8220;Homeland Security Investigations in cooperation with our law enforcement partners executed criminal search warrants in Minneapolis relating to the rampant fraud of U.S. taxpayers dollars,&#8221; the DHS <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2049111271866302695">said</a>.
No arrests were made in the early morning raids, but federal agents were seen taking photos and moving a portable file case inside a daycare in South Minneapolis, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-federal-agents-daycares-suspected-fraud/">CBS News</a>.
Minneapolis has been at the center of President Donald Trump&#8217;s anti-fraud task force after dozens of Somalis were arrested and charged with defrauding numerous Minnesota social programs since 2018. The task force, which Trump launched earlier this year, is spearheaded by Vice President JD Vance. Since taking over as fraud czar, Vance has zeroed in on 14 state programs in Minnesota, which include autism service providers and medical service transports that the administration believes are rife with fraud.
Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican Congressman and the House Majority Whip, said on Tuesday that Minnesota taxpayers are &#8220;grateful&#8221; for the Trump administration&#8217;s action.
“President Trump and his administration have made it crystal clear — our country will not tolerate waste, fraud, and abuse, and we are not going to allow people to take advantage of Americans’ generosity,&#8221; he said in a release. &#8220;Minnesotans and U.S. taxpayers across the nation are grateful.”
Tuesday&#8217;s raids are not the first time federal agents have been on the ground at suspected fraud sites in the Minneapolis area. In late December, Homeland Security Investigations agents conducted door-to-door <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-conduct-door-to-door-checks-at-suspected-minneapolis-fraud-sites">checks</a> at daycares and healthcare centers suspected of fraud. Those checks, however, did not include court-authorized raids of the businesses.
Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have been <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-releases-explosive-testimony-revealing-minnesota-fraud-cover-up-by-governor-walz-and-attorney-general-ellison/">accused</a> of attempting to cover up the massive fraud scandal that has seen tens of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen from state government programs. The years-long fraud scheme included the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which received federal funding to provide meals to hungry children during the COVID pandemic but distributed little food and exaggerated its numbers.
In December, independent journalist Nick Shirley brought attention back onto Minnesota and Governor Walz with his reporting on Somali-owned daycares that received taxpayer dollars but appeared to have no children in their buildings.

ICE Minneapolis Shooting Sparks Anger And Deepens Divisions

New Wave Hits As Feds Raid More Minnesota Daycare Sites In Growing Fraud Scandal

Crime

Fraud

Minneapolis

Trump Administration

U.S.

Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne revealed he’s involved with so-called “rapid response” activist networks that mobilize people to track and disrupt ICE. 
“This is City Council President Elliott Payne,” he said in a <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/elliottpayne.org/post/3mjvmeqqmp22y">video</a> posted to Bluesky. “We just got down, clearing a rapid response call. We had about twenty people show up at 10pm on Sunday, demonstrating how important it is for us to stay engaged. Even as we think that ICE isn’t here, they are still abducting people and somebody got taken today. Make sure you are staying connected with your neighbors, and make sure you&#8217;re staying safe, and staying vigilant.”
After Operation Metro Surge concluded, ICE agents who had been deployed to Minneapolis left the city. Agents permanently assigned to the Twin Cities remain on duty, however, and continue their regular work while being monitored by activist groups formed during the operation.
ICE Rapid Response Networks organize training on how to document ICE Agents, instruct their members to follow ICE vehicles, and urge them to protest ICE. Some of the larger groups have thousands of members that can be rapidly dispatched when ICE is spotted. The groups have been known to dox ICE agents and share their license plates. 
The network has raised rent money for “our neighbors who cannot leave their homes” and is deeply entrenched in the Minneapolis City Council, and activism regularly appears in their governance. The city council previously lobbied Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to use the city’s rainy day funds for rental assistance. If their request was granted, the city’s municipal bonds would have likely been downgraded resulting the city being able to borrow money at a higher cost. 
The City Council is overwhelmingly left-leaning — both the majority and minority leaders represent the Democratic Socialists of America — and has advocated for “economic blackout” days, which aim at halting the city’s economy for political leverage. The council has also taken direct action against businesses tied to federal immigration enforcement. In one high-profile move, members refused to immediately renew liquor licenses for hotels allegedly connected to ICE operations. 
Some council members have worn whistles — used by activists to alert passersby to ICE activity — to city meetings where they voted on policy. They have also described their interactions with rapid response groups during official proceedings. City Council Member Aisha Chughtai, for example, appeared at the scene as authorities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-cries-tragedy-after-watching-ice-arrest-antifa-linked-suspect-accused-of-wanting-to-kill-cops">arrested</a> cross-dressing “ANTIFA Kyle” — who urged his followers “to assault, kill, and doxx officers.” Chughtai described the incident via her BlueSky as ICE taking “a woman who was our neighbor.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Minneapolis Council Member describes cross-dressing Antifa Kyle’s arrest as “a woman who was our neighbor” taken without an arrest warrant.
“ICE agents broke down an apartment building’s door and two dozen agents went in and arrested a woman that was our neighbor. We’re… <a href="https://t.co/zjCQurYvy3">pic.twitter.com/zjCQurYvy3</a>
— Brecca Stoll (@breccastoll) <a href="https://twitter.com/breccastoll/status/2019888886831526096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
Earlier this month, the council <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/04/15/minneapolis-city-council-considers-ordinance-to-protect-immigrant-renters">indicated</a> it may revise its housing code to require landlords to accept nontraditional identifiers such as their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITN) instead of social security numbers. If the landlord violated these terms, the city could revoke any applicable rental licenses.

2026 Sundance Film Festival – General Atmosphere

Dem Leader Brags About Role In Anti-ICE Network

anti-ICE protests

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Politics

A Minnesota prosecutor is seeking the arrest of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
It appears to be the first such case where local authorities have charged a federal immigration officer tied to President Donald Trump&#8217;s mass deportation campaign.
During a press conference Thursday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that the ICE agent now faces two counts of second-degree assault after he allegedly flashed a gun while passing a driver on the highway. There is now a warrant out for his arrest.
The Minnesota State Patrol received a 911 call in February from the alleged victims, who said a driver pulled up next to them on the shoulder of a highway and pointed a gun at them, Moriarty said.
The ICE agent appeared to be trying &#8220;to bypass slower traffic&#8221; at the time, the county attorney claimed. The other driver &#8220;briefly moved their vehicle into the shoulder to slow him down,&#8221; she said.
Moriarty said that the federal agent &#8220;was driving a rented SUV with no markings or other features to indicate that it was an ICE vehicle.&#8221; When the victim moved out of the shoulder, the agent &#8220;pulled alongside the victim&#8217;s vehicle,&#8221; before he &#8220;visibly slowed his vehicle to match the pace of the victims&#8217; vehicle, opened his window, and pointed his duty weapon directly at both victims in the other vehicle while continuing to drive illegally on the shoulder,&#8221; she said.
The driver then called 911 while the passenger began recording the incident on video, according to Moriarty.
State troopers later identified an ICE agent as the driver and interviewed him at the agency&#8217;s office in Minneapolis, the county attorney said.
The agent &#8220;admitted that he was driving the rented SUV and he and his partner were headed to the Whipple building to end their shift&#8221; and &#8220;that he drew his firearm after the victims&#8217; vehicle had already rejoined the normal flow of traffic,&#8221; Moriarty said.
In his statement, the agent also allegedly said &#8220;he yelled &#8216;police'&#8221; at the victims. But the windows of the victims&#8217; vehicle, Moriarty said, &#8220;were rolled up and they couldn&#8217;t hear&#8221; it.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) didn&#8217;t respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request for comment on the charges.
The typical jail time for each of the charges against the ICE agent is 36 months in prison, Moriarty said.
The charges follow the federal withdrawal of hundreds of federal immigration agents from Minneapolis. President Donald Trump sent his border czar Tom Homan to initiate the drawdown in January, replacing the former Border Patrol sector chief Gregory Bovino, who was known for his aggressive tactics.
Homan&#8217;s arrival came after the fatal shootings by federal immigration agents of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis that sparked weeks of protests. The shootings also resulted in the mass mobilization of ICE watch groups that followed federal agents and outed their locations.
During Thursday&#8217;s press conference, Moriarty recalled the Good and Pretti shootings. She also said there&#8217;s no indication the victims were part of ICE watch groups.
Moriarty characterized the accused agent&#8217;s &#8220;conduct&#8221; as &#8220;extremely dangerous,&#8221; adding that it &#8220;could&#8217;ve led to another disastrous incident in a community that has already suffered too many.&#8221;
&#8220;Our community is still navigating the effects of the federal occupation,&#8221; she said.
Asked if she&#8217;s concerned about &#8220;federal blowback&#8221; over the case, Moriarty said &#8220;it&#8217;s not a concern of ours.&#8221;

Untitled design – 2026-04-16T153233.670

Blue State Prosecutor Issues Arrest Warrant For ICE Agent

Donald Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Markwayne Mullin

Minnesota

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-DEMONSTRATION

The ‘No Kings’ Protests Released New Levels Of Absurd

China

Democratic Socialism

Democrats

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Matt Walsh

New York City

Opinion

Republicans

Bruce Springsteen straight-up said he does not care if he alienates part of his fan base as he prepares to launch a politically charged tour later this month. 
The 76-year-old New Jersey native will kick off his “Land of Hope &amp; Dreams American Tour” in Minneapolis on March 31. Ahead of the tour, he is also scheduled to perform his cringe protest anthem “Streets of Minneapolis” at a “No Kings” rally in St. Paul on Saturday.
“The tour is going to be political and very topical about what’s going on in the country,” Springsteen <a href="https://www.startribune.com/bruce-springsteen-streets-of-minneapolis-first-avenue-no-kings-rally-tom-morello-max-weinberg/601632600">told</a> the Minnesota Star Tribune. “Minneapolis and St. Paul, that was the place I wanted to begin it, and I wanted to end it in Washington.”
Springsteen said he views the current political climate as one of the most consequential periods in modern American history.
“I don’t know of another time when the country has been as critically challenged and our basic ideas and values as critically challenged as they are right now,” he told the outlet. “I’d have to go back to 1968 when I was 18 years old to another moment when it felt like the country was so on edge and like it felt there was simply so much at stake as far as who we are and the country we want to be and the people we want to be.”
When asked about potential “blowback” from critics and fans who disagree with his political views, Springsteen insisted he is not concerned.
“I don’t worry about it,” he told the Star Tribune. “My job is very simple: I do what I want to do, I say what I want to say and then people get to say what they want to say about it.&#8221;
&#8220;The blowback is just part of it,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I’m ready for all that.”
Singers Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers, along with leftist actress/activist Jane Fonda, will also attend the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rally in St. Paul this weekend.
Springsteen was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bruce-springsteen-releases-cringe-protest-song-about-minneapolis">roundly mocked</a> for releasing “Streets of Minneapolis” earlier this year, a song written in response to leftist agitators being killed after confrontations with federal immigration agents. The lyrics, filled with anti-ICE and anti-Trump propaganda, are about as subtle as a freight train.

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen Braces For Backlash As ‘Political’ Tour Approaches

Anti-ICE

Celebrities

Music

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said he regretted calling Alex Pretti a &#8220;deranged individual&#8221; after he was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis in January.
Mullin made the statement during a Wednesday Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on his nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security. If confirmed, the Oklahoma Republican would inherit an agency facing scrutiny over its handling of the fatal shootings of both Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Leading up to her firing, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced scrutiny for statements about the motives of Pretti and Good before the investigation concluded, accusing both of committing an act of domestic terrorism.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Marykwayne Mullin says he regrets calling Alex Pretti a &#8220;deranged individual that came into cause max damage.&#8221;
&#8220;I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/kDbXXgrHDc">pic.twitter.com/kDbXXgrHDc</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2034273306736566624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) asked Mullin if he intends to do the same.
&#8220;After DHS officers shot and killed two American citizens this past January, you joined top administration officials in publicly blaming and disparaging the victims,&#8221; Peters said. &#8220;Following the killing of Renee Good, Secretary Noem called her a domestic terrorist.&#8221;
&#8220;You, sir, you called Alex Pretti &#8216;a deranged individual that came in to cause max damage.&#8217; Could we expect those kinds of quick responses if you are confirmed as secretary?&#8221; Peters asked.
Mullin responded bluntly that he wouldn&#8217;t do the same and expressed remorse for his previous comment.
&#8220;No, senator, I have a deep amount of respect for you. We’ve had our differences, but I do respect you. I think I&#8217;ve said this privately when we had a conversation. Those words probably should have been retracted,&#8221; Mullin said.
&#8220;I shouldn&#8217;t have said that. And as secretary, I wouldn’t. The investigation is ongoing &#8230; I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary,&#8221; he added.
Peters then asked Mullin to apologize to Pretti&#8217;s family, which he said he would &#8220;absolutely&#8221; do if the investigation proves him wrong.
Following the shootings, President Donald Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to take over operations. In doing so, Trump replaced Noem-ally Gregory Bovino, a top Border Patrol official, who has since announced his retirement from the agency.

Mullin To Face Senate Scrutiny Over Ability To Lead Behemoth DHS

Pressed At DHS Hearing, Markwayne Mullin Walks Back ‘Deranged’ Comment About Alex Pretti

Kristi Noem

El Centro Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, who was known for his aggressive roving patrols in major American cities, will soon retire.
Bovino was tapped to lead aggressive raids in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Minneapolis, where he was eventually replaced after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January. He soon became the face of the Trump administration&#8217;s mass deportation campaign and was seen walking around cities accompanied by federal agents as they conducted roving patrols.
President Donald Trump replaced Bovino with border czar Tom Homan in the aftermath of the deadly shootings.
After Minneapolis, Bovino was sent back to his post at the border, ending his long reign leading the aggressive immigration sweeps across the country.
While serving as a commander for the at-large operations across the country, Bovino has aligned himself with outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, advocating for increasing arrest numbers and putting on a show of force, as previously reported by The Daily Wire. Homan, however, has long advocated for ditching quotas and focusing on nabbing the worst criminals first.
The Border Patrol official plans to leave the agency at the end of March after serving the agency since the 1990s.
&#8220;The greatest honor of my entire life was to work alongside Border Patrol agents on the border and in the interior of the United States in some of the most challenging conditions the agency has ever faced,” Bovino <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/03/16/exclusive-border-patrol-sector-chief-gregory-bovino-to-retire-after-leading-largest-interior-immigration-operations-in-u-s-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Breitbart Sunday, adding, “Watching these agents out there giving it their all in some of the most dangerous of environments we have ever faced was humbling.”
Bovino&#8217;s retirement coincides with Noem&#8217;s exit as Homeland Security secretary at the end of the month. Leading up to her firing, Noem faced backlash for tagging Pretti as a domestic terrorist without waiting for a federal investigation into the fatal shooting to conclude.
Bovino also apparently got ahead of an investigation, claiming Pretti intended to &#8220;massacre&#8221; federal agents.
Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker weighed in on Bovino&#8217;s expected exit, writing on X Monday that &#8220;Bovino won&#8217;t just get to walk away,&#8221; adding that &#8220;he will be held accountable and responsible for the damage he&#8217;s done to our nation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Greg Bovino won’t just get to walk away — he will be held accountable and responsible for the damage he&#8217;s done to our nation.
We won’t forget, and neither should you.
No one is above the law. <a href="https://t.co/s5BUFt7lT1">https://t.co/s5BUFt7lT1</a>
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/2033620925963219309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Border Patrol operating in Minneapolis

He Led The Nation’s Most Aggressive Immigration Sweeps. Now He’s Set To Retire.

Top Border Patrol Official Who Led Aggressive Immigration Raids In Minneapolis Set To Retire

Border Patrol

Fraudsters are robbing America blind. The federal government <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-105833">estimates</a> fraud costs a family of four roughly $4,000 each year.
Fraud is the inevitable byproduct of a bloated bureaucracy that spends <a href="https://www.bea.gov/data/government/receipts-and-expenditures">$11 trillion annually</a> at the federal, state, and local levels. To conduct an audit, we would need an army of indefatigable accountants. In the past, we couldn’t raise such an army, but now we can. We simply need competent leadership in Congress to deploy it.
This system could have saved <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-fraud-feeding-our-future-medicaid-9911799c0d0149a64a042abed095be57">billions</a> in Minnesota alone. Instead of sending millions in taxpayer dollars to the <a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/dr-oz-on-medicaid-fraud-fact-finding-mission-in-minnesota-2b-could-be-at-stake/">400 supposed</a> healthcare providers huddled in an industrial building in St. Paul, Minnesota, our government could have sent an FBI team. They would have stopped payments to “<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/dozens-charged-in-250-million-covid-fraud-scheme-092122">Feeding Our Future</a>,” where fraudsters faked child rosters, randomly assigned ages, and reported meal volumes wildly inconsistent with site capacity — the kind of fraud that is easy for an AI to catch.
The technical solution is to use AI to spot and block fraudulent government payments, such as those to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-quality-learing-center-is-officially-closed-state-records-show">fake daycares</a> in Minnesota. Your bank already does it. If you live in Minneapolis and your card is used in Florida, your bank will deny the transaction and call you within minutes. By contrast, the government’s optional payment screening service has been branded <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/M-25-32-Preventing-Improper-Payments-and-Protecting-Privacy-Through-Do-Not-Pay.pdf">a failure</a>.
Modern AI tools can detect fraud patterns that fool humans, such as multiple nonprofits with the same address, beneficiaries, board members, and employees. These tools automatically flag anomalies like spikes in billing and implausible service delivery. When something is suspicious, these tools can stop the payment for further investigation by a human team.
Congress should require all agencies to run any payment over $10,000 through a fraud detection system and change the law to allow the government to pause suspicious payments. AI can adjudicate most cases quickly. Narrow exceptions should be made for cases where immediate payments are critical to national security. The system can exist within the Treasury, Government Accountability Office, or even report directly to Congress. Regardless of where it lives, we need an elite team of data scientists, engineers, and investigators who oversee our all-important tax dollars competently and ethically.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and state Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) testify on alleged misuse of federal funds in Minnesota at <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPoversight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightDems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OversightDems</a> – LIVE on C-SPAN3 <a href="https://t.co/LkMJ0ZVExm">https://t.co/LkMJ0ZVExm</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2029197002651701402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Source: @cspan/X.com
But tech is not enough. We need the legal tools to stop fraudulent payments immediately. Would you keep paying the bill on a stolen credit card for years? That’s what the government does. When agencies suspect fraud, they often continue paying fraudsters until a court declares the “vendor” to be violating their contract. “Feeding Our Future” received $250 million of taxpayer money for years after the first <a href="https://www.governing.com/management-and-administration/minnesotas-inadequate-oversight-led-to-250m-meal-program-fraud?utm_source=chatgpt.com">allegations</a> of fraud. When Minnesota’s Department of Education slowed the payments on its suspicions, “Feeding Our Future” sued; the judge <a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/judge-rebukes-walz-assertion-that-he-ordered-mde-to-resume-payments-to-feeding-our-future/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">questioned</a> whether the agency had followed the required administrative procedures, and payments to fraudsters resumed. This illustrates a general point — fraudsters know that even credible red flags rarely trigger an immediate stop-pay and criminal prosecution, because agencies lack <a href="https://www.governing.com/management-and-administration/minnesotas-inadequate-oversight-led-to-250m-meal-program-fraud?utm_source=chatgpt.com">investigatory tools</a> and fear losing in court.
Congress, however, lacks technical competence and leadership. While half of all senators are <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48535">lawyers</a> by training, there is only <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48535">one senator</a> with an engineering degree. The Senate is not representative of America’s immense economic growth, driven in large part by technologists. It’s time for us to harness that technology to make the government serve us better.
Our prosperity and freedom are at stake. Polarization and growing mistrust in our institutions, coupled with enormous peacetime deficits, are a combustible mix. We can quell it with technology and competent leadership. Stamping out large-scale fraud could cut our deficit by as much as a quarter. Addressing waste as well could eliminate our deficit entirely. Only when families feel the benefits of our prosperity in their own budgets — through lower taxes, cheaper childcare, and healthcare — will the political pressure cool and give us space to confront our most serious challenges as a nation.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, Americans laid the foundation of the most successful democratic government in the world. Our government grew with our prosperity — eventually making full oversight impossible by human effort alone. Today, we have the technology to make our government the most upright and efficient in the world. We need leaders who are capable and willing to use it to protect our taxes, our freedoms, and our future. 

* * *
Mark York is a Harvard-trained computer scientist and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota. 

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Minnesota Gov. Walz And AG Ellison Testify At Hearing On Social Services Fraud

America Is Bleeding Billions To Fraud — How AI Could Shut It Down

Artificial Intelligence

Banks

Congress

Federal Government

Somalis

Technology

Tim Walz

The federal government&#8217;s presence in Minnesota may be winding down, but leftist activists are mobilizing to the Twin Cities for a week of harassing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, calling for the abolition of prisons, and eating at Mexican restaurants. 
Documents <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/a-minnesota-melt-the-ice-week-of-action-includes-a-scheduled-student-walkout-and-sit-in-school-patrols-and-a-training-session-on-sanctuary-schools-facilitated-by-rank-and-file-members/">reviewed</a> by The Daily Wire show the detailed coordination and planning that goes into a week of anti-law enforcement protests collectively called “Bring the Heat! Melt the ICE!.&#8221; From February 25 to March 1, anti-ICE organizers are demonstrating at the state capitol, at hotels where federal agents are staying, and hosting training sessions at local churches. 
“For months now, the Twin Cities have been at the forefront of a struggle against ICE in this country,” a <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Week-of-Action-Welcome.pdf">welcome packet</a> for the week of protest, originally obtained by Defending Education, said. “The stakes have been high, and many strategic and tactical innovations quickly developed here. Such experiments have been promising, but there&#8217;s a long journey ahead of us on the road to abolishing ICE, and we&#8217;re just getting started.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1050391 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1.png" alt="" width="1995" height="772" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1.png 1995w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-300x116.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-1024x396.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-768x297.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-1536x594.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1995px) 100vw, 1995px" /></div>
The activists demand the removal of ICE from Minnesota, the release of “our abducted neighbors,” and closure of &#8220;detention camps,” a statewide eviction moratorium, the dropping of charges against protesters who harassed or assaulted ICE officers, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and the abolishment of ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and prisons. 
The protest comes after border czar Tom Homan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homan-strikes-deal-in-minnesota-yanks-hundreds-of-immigration-officers">announced</a> a massive drawdown of federal officers in Minnesota. Homan said he had reached a deal with local officials to get more cooperation for ICE officers seeking to arrest illegal aliens. 
One of the activities being planned for the week is protesting at hotels where ICE agents are staying. 
“Grab some friends, noisemakers, and head to a hotel that houses ICE on this list,” a <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-23_WOA_Schedule.pdf">calendar</a> of planned actions says. “There is no big public noise demo—these are autonomous and decentralized. Please go to the training or check out this guide if you need support hosting one with your affinity group.”
<div id="attachment_1050343" style="width: 1430px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1050343" class="wp-image-1050343 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM.png" alt="" width="1420" height="430" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM.png 1420w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM-300x91.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM-1024x310.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM-768x233.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1420px) 100vw, 1420px" />Defending Education.</div>
Defending Education also obtained a spreadsheet showing hotels that were options for protests, which are being organized by the Sunrise Movement.
<div id="attachment_1050345" style="width: 2135px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1050345" class="size-full wp-image-1050345" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM.png" alt="" width="2125" height="803" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM.png 2125w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-300x113.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-1024x387.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-768x290.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-1536x580.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-2048x774.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2125px) 100vw, 2125px" />Defending Education.</div>
Multiple anti-ICE protests are also planned at the state capitol building on Thursday and Friday, including a student walkout and sit-in organized by “Twin Cities student organizers,” according to the calendar. 
In the welcome packet, protesters are not instructed to obey the law, but just not document an illegal activity they engage in or witness. 
“In the event that somebody around you is engaging in illegal activity, do not take photos or videos of that, unless it is to record an interaction with law enforcement,” organizers said. “Don&#8217;t write in incriminating ways about illegal activity you observe or participate in.”
<div id="attachment_1050423" style="width: 1440px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1050423" class="size-full wp-image-1050423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM.png" alt="" width="1430" height="366" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM.png 1430w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM-300x77.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM-1024x262.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM-768x197.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px" />Defending Education.</div>
Activists showing up for the week of action will also have the opportunity to join “school patrols” to drive around looking for ICE agents. 
“In Minneapolis, ICE incidents occurred at or within two blocks of public schools every single day for 6 weeks straight. We responded by running about 3000 patrol shifts per week, and that doesn’t even include private schools, charter schools or day cares,” the calendar says. 
The calendar and welcome documents reveal the scope of planning and professional coordination that go into these large-scale protests and the participation of churches and local teachers. 
For example, a Thursday training hosted by Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church is on creating “sanctuary schools.” The training was hosted by activist group Take Action MN. According to the group, they have a presence at “hundreds” of school districts. 
“Sanctuary school teams are a combination of educators and caregivers who do daily protective presence and rapid response around schools, coordinate mutual aid (rides, food relief, rent relief, legal support) and organize together for longer term demands like returning Sanctuary status to schools and abolishing ICE,” the calendar says. “Come learn from caregivers and organizers about how we started these teams and have grown them at hundreds of schools in districts across the state.”
The Minnesota Federation of Educators is set to host a training at the First Universalist Church focused on organizing “our schools to be bases of the working class.”
Erika Sanzi, the senior director of communications at Defending Education, told The Daily Wire that educators&#8217; involvement in these protests reveals how leftist ideology has infiltrated the education system. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s high time that people come to terms with the fact that the call is coming from inside the house. Groups of radicals and revolutionaries that have always agitated on the fringe are now becoming embedded in the K-12 ecosystem by way of teachers&#8217; unions, student unions and even teacher training programs,” she said.  
“The sooner the public accepts that these protests and walkouts are highly coordinated by outside actors, the sooner we can put a stop to it or at least drastically reduce it in our public schools,” she added. 
Other groups participating in the protests include Spring House Ministries, the Red Pine Revolutionary Collective, Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, and Indigenous Roots. 
Activists will get free food from the group Seeds of Peace. Many will stay in other people’s homes for the week of protest. 
“Eat First. Then Smash the State,” the welcome packet said, noting that Muslims participating in Ramadan will be given priority for dinner meals. 
Organizers led by the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America are <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Twin-Cities-DSA-%E2%80%94-Donate-via-ActBlue.pdf">fundraising</a> on Democrat platform ActBlue for food, training, and lodging. 
Other tips from organizers include asking other people their pronouns, using Signal to communicate, and supporting a variety of Mexican restaurants located in St. Paul and Minneapolis. They also warn participants about “right-wing” influencers becoming embedded in their communication systems. 
“We also know that Minneapolis&#8217;s rapid response systems have already been infiltrated by right-wing influencers and government agents,” the welcome packet said. 
Activists are also encouraged to make pilgrimages to the location where convicted felon George Floyd died during an encounter with police, as well as the spot where Renée Nicole Good was shot after attempting to hit an ICE agent with her car.
“As resistance grows, so does our collective grief about those we have loved and lost in the struggle for liberation,&#8221; the welcome packet reads. &#8220;We ask that if you choose to visit these sites, please do so with respect and reverence.&#8221;

Protest For Immigrants And Against ICE In Minneapolis

‘Eat First. Then Smash The State.’ Inside The Anti-ICE Weeklong Plan

Illegal Immigation

St. Paul

The Minneapolis City Council is slow-walking the renewal of liquor licenses for two local hotels over alleged safety concerns related to housing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
The two hotels, the Depot and the Canopy hotels, were both targeted by anti-ICE agitators last month, resulting in a standoff between demonstrators and state police.
The council first debated the licenses in early February and voted to delay renewing the license until Tuesday&#8217;s meeting. The Minneapolis officials then voted 11-2 to proceed with an investigation, further delaying the renewal process until Thursday, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-city-council-liquor-license-renewal-ice-hotels/">according</a> to CBS News.
“It’s our job as council members to do what we can to further investigate and address those concerns and public safety is one of the No. 1 things that we do as a body,” Aurin Chowdhury, the chair of the city council, said, per <a href="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/minneapolis-city-council-delays-liquor-license-renewal-two-hotels/89-4d475103-2614-4478-b1d7-a364d89e8f9f">Kare 11</a>.
A lawyer for the city, however, warned that too much delay could lead to legal consequences, CBS News reported.
&#8220;Not respecting staff input and opinion here could have tremendous legal and financial impact,&#8221; council member Elizabeth Shaffer said.
Shaffer explained that the holdup could give the wrong message that Minneapolis &#8220;is not a safe place to do business,&#8221; according to CBS.
When asked whether housing ICE at the hotels was a reason to deny a liquor license, city attorney Quinn O&#8217;Reilly replied &#8220;no,&#8221; the news outlet reported.
&#8220;As we advised previously, there needs to be connection between licensed activity and identifying concerns,&#8221; O&#8217;Reilly said. &#8220;So who stays at the hotel, there&#8217;s no nexus between the license activity, which is the serving of alcohol and the activity that which we are concerned.&#8221;
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the hotels as &#8220;economic engines for our city,&#8221; according to CBS.
&#8220;Revoking their licenses doesn&#8217;t just hurt the venue — it hurts the workers, vendors, and nonprofits that rely on these spaces to keep running,&#8221; he said.
Daily Wire reporter Brecca Stoll reported from the Canopy last month as anti-ICE protestors banged drums and shouted.
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Protestors have gathered outside the Canopy Hilton Hotel where they think ICE is staying and are banging instruments.
One sign says “WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE AND WE’LL DO IT AGAIN.” <a href="https://t.co/WJMlJ85mKX">pic.twitter.com/WJMlJ85mKX</a>
— Brecca Stoll (@breccastoll) <a href="https://twitter.com/breccastoll/status/2009792842802352425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Since then, the Trump administration has ended the massive immigration operation, known as &#8220;Operation Metro Surge,&#8221; White House border czar Tom Homan announced last week.
“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that the surge operation conclude,” Homan said during a press conference in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Homan also emphasized that it doesn&#8217;t mean the Trump administration is backing down from its mass deportation efforts.
“A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue through the next week,” Homan said. “We have a lot of work to do across this country to remove public safety risks who shouldn’t even be in this country and to deliver on President Trump’s promise for strong border security and mass deportation. Law enforcement officers drawn down from this operation will either return to the duty station or be assigned elsewhere to achieve just that.&#8221;

Anti-ICE protestors converge inside the lobby of the Hilton

Minneapolis Officials Refuse To Stop Targeting Hotels That Housed ICE Agents

Hotel

The end is near for the Trump administration&#8217;s &#8220;Operation Metro Surge&#8221; in Minnesota.
After more than 4,000 arrests, many of the thousands of ICE and Border Patrol personnel sent to the Twin Cities from other areas of the country will soon return to their home offices, White House border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday.
Homan came to the decision with the support of President Donald Trump after seeing &#8220;success&#8221; with the operation, which has led to a significant drop in criminal illegal immigrants roaming the streets, &#8220;unprecedented levels of coordination&#8221; from local officials, and a decrease in anti-ICE agitator activity, he said. It also resulted in federal authorities tracking down 3,364 missing migrant kids who previously crossed the border alone.
&#8220;I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that the surge operation conclude,&#8221; Homan said during a press conference in Minneapolis.
But it doesn&#8217;t mean the Trump administration is backing down from its goal of carrying out a historic mass deportation campaign, he said. It also doesn&#8217;t mean ICE is leaving for good.
&#8220;A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue through the next week,&#8221; Homan said. &#8220;We have a lot of work to do across this country to remove public safety risks who shouldn&#8217;t even be in this country and to deliver on President Trump&#8217;s promise for strong border security and mass deportation. Law enforcement officers drawn down from this operation will either return to the duty station or be assigned elsewhere to achieve just that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING: HOMAN announces that he and Trump have agreed to end ICE&#8217;s &#8216;Operation Metro Surge&#8217; In Minnesota
ICE will still have a &#8220;footprint&#8221; in the Twin Cities that will include teams to prioritize arresting criminal illegal immigrants and violent agitators <a href="https://t.co/DOzHmoXbJk">pic.twitter.com/DOzHmoXbJk</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2021954564791140736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;For those who say we are backing down from immigration enforcement or mass deportations, you are simply wrong, look at the data,&#8221; he said.
While the drawdown continues, &#8220;a small footprint of personnel will remain&#8221; temporarily &#8220;to close out and transition full command and control back to the&#8221; local ICE office. That includes teams deployed to quell street violence and agents investigating fraud.
Homan also said he&#8217;s directed the &#8220;strategic&#8221; placement of officers near local jails in Minnesota to ensure they&#8217;re able to swiftly receive illegal immigrants that local authorities must release.
&#8220;Federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done. I will also remain on the ground for a little longer to oversee the drawdown of this operation and ensure its success,&#8221; Homan said.
Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis last month to assume control over the operation, replacing Border Patrol&#8217;s Gregory Bovino. Bovino was known for his showy operations, where he waltzed around the Twin Cities flanked by burly federal agents and conducted aggressive roving patrols.
Homan came in and changed all of that, instructing federal agents to prioritize hardened criminals before nabbing anyone whose sole crime is being in the country illegally. The former ICE chief, however, made clear from the start that it didn&#8217;t mean that illegal immigrants without rap sheets were off the table.
Homan passionately emphasized that point during Thursday&#8217;s presser.
&#8220;I hear all the hate about you should arrest everybody. We are, but we&#8217;re prioritizing those who are the biggest threat to our community, the rapist, the murderers, the child molesters. That’s the right thing to do, but I’ll say it again. Present Trump made a promise of mass deportation, and that’s what this country’s gonna get,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re in this country illegally, you&#8217;re not off the table,&#8221; he said.

Border Czar Tom Homan Speaks To The Press In Minneapolis

Trump To End ICE’s ‘Operation Metro Surge’ In Minnesota, Homan Says

Immigration

Tom Homan

Minneapolis Live Blog

LIVE UPDATES: Minnesota AG Spars With Republicans In Fiery Senate Hearing

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