Federal Agents Descend On Minneapolis For Immigration Enforcement Operations

LIVE UPDATES: FBI Subpoenas Walz, Top Minnesota Dems In Major ICE Interference Investigation

Donald Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Tim Walz

Trump Administration

Minnesota’s decline did not occur overnight. It was engineered, year after year, under the failed leadership of Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Democrats. Ideology replaced oversight, political narratives replaced accountability, and “compassion” became an excuse for corruption.
In 2009, Forbes magazine named Minneapolis the safest city in America. Today, however, our state is a shell of itself, no longer known for clean government or competent leadership. It is now known for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-blasts-coward-tim-walz-for-withholding-security-amid-fraud-probe-anti-ice-protests">fraud and abuse.</a>
Across the state, hundreds of childcare centers are under investigation for allegedly stealing <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/12/opinion/annual-600b-federal-fraud-is-killing-us-crack-down-now/">billions of taxpayer dollars</a> meant to help children. Federal auditors are demanding proof that children were even present at these make-shift daycares with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-quality-learing-center-is-officially-closed-state-records-show?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Minneapolis+Quality+%E2%80%98Learing%E2%80%99+Center+Is+Officially+Closed%2C+State+Records+Show">misspelled names</a> and fake addresses. Minnesotans are rightly asking how such a massive scheme could operate openly for years without intervention. The answer is obvious and uncomfortable: Tim Walz and Minnesota Democrats allowed it to happen.
A recent press conference captured the rot. A daycare operator claimed that enrollment records, documents that would supposedly exonerate his organization, were conveniently stolen during a break-in. Worse yet, as he spoke about his business, he wore <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15426835/minnesota-somali-daycare-fraud-nokomis-daycare-glasses-interpreter.html">designer sunglasses</a>, valued at thousands of dollars.
This was not an isolated failure. Under Tim Walz, widespread fraud has become a recurring pattern. The <a href="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/feeding-our-future-investigation/full-coverage-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme/89-c288f8ca-2b8d-405f-b027-e15035bf42bf">Feeding Our Future</a> scandal exposed the laundering of federal nutrition funds, even as warning signs were ignored and whistleblowers were pushed aside. Oversight collapsed. Agencies failed. The amount of fraud in Minnesota can be tied up neatly in one sentence: Tim Walz awarded Ayan Abukar the &#8220;Outstanding Refugee Award,” and four years later, Abukar is one of thousands of Minnesotans convicted of what may be the <a href="https://knsiradio.com/2025/01/27/one-sentence-one-plea-announced-in-250-million-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme/">largest case of fraud</a> in American history.
This only exposed the central deception of Democratic governance: the idea that fraud-ridden bureaucracies are synonymous with compassion. They are not. Real compassion demands accountability, because every dollar stolen through fraud is a dollar taken from a child who needs help.
I know what government assistance is meant to do because I grew up relying on it. I was raised by my divorced mother on welfare in Harlem and later with my father in a trailer park in Oklahoma. Nothing about my childhood promised success, and the only way out was hard work. I delivered pizzas to put myself through college. I went on to serve as an Army officer stationed in South Korea on the DMZ. Five years later, I was the first in my family to begin a business career in the private sector. My life is a living case study that the promise of America is available to everyone, regardless of race or social station — if they embrace it.
That path was only possible in the United States. But I wouldn’t have been able to do that in today’s Minnesota.
Minnesota Democrats outright reject the very principles of hard work, merit, grit, and dedication. Under their leadership, fraudsters live lavishly while working families are lectured about “equity.” Agencies distribute billions of taxpayer dollars with no verification. Democrats moralize about social justice while presiding over the largest fraud scandal in American history. And unfortunately, fraud is only one symptom of a much deeper problem.
Sadly, the same Democratic ideology that tolerated corruption has also undermined public safety in our state. Under Governor Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis, once one of America’s safest major cities, fell into <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/us/minneapolis-government-george-floyd.html">chaos</a>. In 2020, rioting and looting turned entire neighborhoods into war zones while Walz hesitated, excused, and justified lawlessness. We witnessed politicians excuse rioting and looting for four-days while families fled Minneapolis and trust evaporated.
Let’s be honest – it’s not any better today. The Left’s open border policies that began under Joe Biden’s administration have further strained local resources and eroded confidence in the rule of law. We’re seeing violent rioters destroy businesses, fight law enforcement, and cause chaos in our streets. Meanwhile, they are encouraged and egged on by Democrat leaders. Meanwhile, crime is out-of-control and families are scared to have dinner or see a show in Minneapolis.
As a result, businesses have left the state in droves, and we have quickly become a desert for opportunity and economic growth. Taxes continue to skyrocket, and both families and small businesses leave for safe havens. They don’t have to move far. It’s not only Florida, Tennessee, or Texas; instead, they are finding refuge in the neighboring states of Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas. From an economic perspective, nearly every economic indicator in Minnesota has been in free fall for a decade.
If this state were a publicly traded company, its leadership would have been fired and its stock dumped years ago.
Now, Tim Walz is <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/gov-tim-walz-expected-to-drop-reelection-bid-amid-minnesota-somali-fraud-probe-report/">stepping aside</a>, and Minnesota Democrats want voters to believe the damage leaves with him. The sad truth is, Walz is not the exception; he is the product of a one-party system that normalized failure. This fraud did not occur in one day. It happened over years, in plain sight, while Minnesota’s legislators from both parties voted, agencies approved payments, and oversight mechanisms failed again and again.
Let me be clear — we can’t fix the problems in St. Paul by electing another legislator from St. Paul. We need someone like me, a political outsider and a successful businessman. You don’t have to look far to see how President Trump has revitalized our economy with his business background and shook up the status quo to Make America Great Again. That’s what I want to emulate in Minnesota.
If we want to dismantle the largest fraud case in American history and restore trust in our state’s government, Minnesota needs leadership fundamentally different from what Democrats have to offer. We need someone willing to audit aggressively, prosecute decisively, and dismantle corrupt systems without fear of political backlash. We need a leader who understands that compassion without accountability is not kindness, it is betrayal. Minnesota does not need another lecture from progressives. It needs a reckoning.
This November, we have a once-in-a-generation moment to elect a leader that rejects the notion of socialism – doubles down on free market capitalism and our country’s Judeo-Christian founding principles. The future of Minnesota looks bright if we choose wisely.
* * *
Kendall Qualls is an Army veteran, business leader, and the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Tim Walz announces he won’t seek reelection for Minnesota governor, January 2026

Minnesota Is A Case Study In Democratic Failure. Here’s How We Fix It.

Democrats

Fraud

Opinion

Republicans

Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are under federal investigation amid their opposition to the Trump administration&#8217;s massive immigration enforcement operation in the state, a source close to the situation <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2012303116897542265?s=20">confirmed</a> to The Daily Wire.
CBS News first <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-investigating-tim-walz-jacob-frey-minnesota/">reported</a> the details of the investigation, which focuses on allegations that Walz and Frey have interfered with federal immigration operations. A U.S. official told the outlet that the Justice Department is looking into statements that Walz and Frey have made regarding the recent surge in federal law enforcement to Minnesota.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche hinted at the federal government taking action against Walz and Frey, <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2011620198751597028?s=20">saying</a> on Wednesday, &#8220;Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement. It’s disgusting. Walz and Frey — I’m focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It’s a promise.&#8221;
The DOJ investigation focuses on federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 372, which addresses two or more people who conspire through &#8220;force, intimidation or threats&#8221; to prevent federal law enforcement officers from carrying out their duties, CBS News reported.
Both the governor and the mayor have made inflammatory statements about Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following the deadly shooting of Renee Good last week. In an address on Wednesday night, Walz urged Minnesotans to follow ICE agents and record their actions to help the state “create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans” that could be used for “future prosecutions.”
In the hours after Good was shot and killed, Frey told ICE to &#8220;get the f*ck out of Minneapolis.&#8221; Later, Frey said that ICE agents were &#8220;causing chaos&#8221; in Minneapolis and suggested that residents were asking for the city police to &#8220;fight&#8221; ICE agents &#8220;on the streets&#8221; before he urged residents to remain peaceful.
As the Minnesota Democratic leaders have denounced ICE&#8217;s actions, demonstrations in Minneapolis continue, some of which have turned violent. On Wednesday night, a federal agent was ambushed and attacked by three illegal immigrants while attempting to make an arrest, according to the Department of Homeland Security. After the second ICE-involved shooting, demonstrators descended on the scene of the incident and confronted federal officers. Some of the agitators threw fireworks at law enforcement, and the crowd was cleared out of the area with tear gas.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-use-insurrection-act-in-minnesota-if-professional-agitators-are-not-stopped?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+To+Use+Insurrection+Act+In+Minnesota+If+%E2%80%98Professional+Agitators%E2%80%99+Are+Not+Stopped">threatened</a> to invoke the Insurrection Act on Thursday, blasting &#8220;corrupt politicians in Minnesota,&#8221; who &#8220;don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E.&#8221; On Friday, however, Trump told reporters outside of the White House that he doesn&#8217;t think there&#8217;s &#8220;any reason right now right now&#8221; to use the Insurrection Act.

Jacob Frey/Tim Walz

DOJ Opens Investigation Into Tim Walz, Jacob Frey Over Suspected Conspiracy To Impede Federal Agents

jacob frey

TOPSHOT-US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING

Domestic Terrorists Have Officially Taken Over Minneapolis. Here’s What Needs To Be Done.

Domestic Terrorists Have Officially Taken Over Minneapolis. Here's What Needs To Be Done. 

domestic terrorism

illegal immigrants

Law Enforcement

Matt Walsh

Violence

In a bizarre, overheated primetime address that sounded less like a governor briefing his state and more like a dystopian audiobook audition, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz told Minnesotans that they are living under something resembling a federal occupation.
“What’s happening in Minnesota right now defies belief,” Walz began ominously, insisting that “two to three thousand armed agents of the federal government” — whom he described as “masked, under-trained ICE agents” — are roaming the state committing acts more commonly associated with banana republics than immigration enforcement. According to Walz, these agents are “going door to door, ordering people to point out where their neighbors of color live,” pulling over Americans “indiscriminately” demanding “to see their papers,” and abducting people into “unmarked vans” in what he explicitly labeled “kidnapping innocent people with no warning, and no due process.”
Walz claimed this was no longer about enforcing immigration law. “This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” he declared. “Instead, it’s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.”
He tied the alleged abuses to the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good, accusing the Trump administration of refusing to investigate fairly and instead “devoting the full power of the federal government to finding an excuse to attack the victim and her family.” Walz also claimed that six federal prosecutors resigned rather than participate in what he called “this assault on the United States Constitution.”
The Democratic governor then escalated further, warning that President Donald Trump had promised “retribution and reckoning,” which Walz labeled “a direct threat against the people of this state” for the crime of voting against Trump. Nevertheless, Walz urged Minnesotans to protest “loudly, urgently, but also peacefully,” cautioning that Trump “wants this chaos” and “wants more violence on our streets.”
Then came perhaps the most remarkable moment of the speech. Walz encouraged citizens to act as civilian documentarians of federal law enforcement. “You have an absolute right to peacefully film ICE agents,” he said. “So carry your phone with you at all times … hit record.” The purpose? To “create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans” and “bank evidence for future prosecution.”
Walz promised that “accountability is coming” and assured viewers Minnesota would remain “an island of decency in a country being driven toward cruelty.”
The White House was unimpressed. Its Rapid Response account mocked the glitch-ridden address, calling Walz a “loser” and a “buffoon,” and urging him to “resign in disgrace.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tampon is currently attempting to do a live, highly produced statewide address to condemn the enforcement of our immigration laws in Minnesota&#8230; but it&#8217;s not going so well 🤣
You&#8217;re a loser, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a> — and you always will be.
Just resign in disgrace, you buffoon. <a href="https://t.co/pYhKNyZ8ra">pic.twitter.com/pYhKNyZ8ra</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011606173993353376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Announces He’s Ending His Reelection Bid

Walz Claims Minnesota Under Federal ‘Occupation,’ Urges Filming ICE For ‘Future Prosecutions’

A lawmaker in Minnesota has filed articles of impeachment against embattled Democrat Gov. Tim Walz.
Walz has become a national focus in the wake of reports concerning a massive fraud scandal in his state, largely concerning Somali residents. A stunning press conference held by federal prosecutor Joseph Thompson last month confirmed that $9 billion – or potentially more – of taxpayer money could have been stolen during Walz’s tenure.
GOP state Rep. Mike Wiener announced on his Facebook page on Monday that he&#8217;s filed articles of impeachment against Walz  &#8220;I have officially filed Articles of Impeachment against Governor Tim Walz, initiating the impeachment process in the Minnesota House of Representatives,&#8221; he posted.
The articles accuse Walz of committing corrupt conduct and violating his oath of office.
The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=871987045448886&amp;set=pcb.871987308782193">four articles specifically allege</a> that Walz knowingly concealed widespread fraud in the state’s Department of Human Services, despite repeated warnings; interfered with lawful oversight and investigation into the fraud; prioritized political considerations above lawful administration; and failed to execute laws of the state, specifically laws concerning stewardship of public funds.
&#8220;Democrat control of our state has led to 9 billion dollars of fraud that we currently know about,&#8221; Wiener <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/tim-walz-articles-of-impeachment-11356274">told</a> Newsweek.  &#8220;Governor Walz said &#8216;the buck stops with him.&#8217; Since he refused to resign the next step is impeachment. Our taxpayers are demanding this, and if the Democrats don&#8217;t support the impeachment they are complicit with the fraud.&#8221;
The impeachment effort would need to pass the Minnesota House and Senate, where control is split. As noted by Newsweek, both parties have 67 seats each, and Wiener said he would need one Democrat in a committee to vote with him for it to go to the House.
As outlined by Thompson, 14 taxpayer-funded programs in particular were found to be rife with fraud since 2018. Those programs cost $18 billion, and Thompson said it’s possible that half of that, or more, could have been fraudulently claimed.
“I think we’re an outlier in a bad way,” Thompson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NirLDCHIpr0">said</a> of Minnesota. “You don’t see fraud on this scale in other states. … Every day we look under a rock and find a new $50 million fraud scheme. That shouldn’t be the case in a state of our size. Certainly other states have problems with frauds, but I think our problem is unique.”
Walz, who’s unsurprisingly in the hot seat over the scandal, has contended that Thompson is engaging in “sensationalism” and says there’s “<a href="https://www.startribune.com/walz-says-theres-no-evidence-of-9b-in-fraud-exposing-rift-between-state-and-feds/601549681">no evidence</a>” the scope is $9 billion or more.
Earlier this month, Walz announced that he won&#8217;t seek re-election as governor this year. In a lengthy statement, the Democrat claimed Minnesota has been unfairly targeted by the Trump administration and cited the ongoing fraud scandals that the Justice Department is investigating and prosecuting, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walz-gets-more-bad-news-from-feds-after-massive-fraud-scandal-exposed">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
“Like many Minnesotans, I was glad to turn the page on 2025. It was an extraordinarily difficult year for our state. And it ended on a particularly sour note,” Walz said.

JD Vance And Tim Walz Face Off In Vice Presidential Debate In New York

Articles Of Impeachment Filed Against Embattled Dem Tim Walz

Impeachment

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a slew of illegal immigrants in Minneapolis Tuesday, including several convicted of sexual assault and drug trafficking.
The arrests were part of Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s effort to arrest illegal aliens in the Twin Cities, which began in December. Among those arrested Tuesday were Teng Houa Vang, a Vietnamese national with a domestic assault conviction — as well as guilty pleas for terror threats and breaking a “protection order,” The Daily Wire has learned. He is also facing charges for “arson, peeping tom, obstructing police, trespassing, assault, drug possession, and property damage.”
<div id="attachment_1028041" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1028041" class="size-medium wp-image-1028041" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image001-2-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image001-2-300x300.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image001-2-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image001-2.png 363w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Mugshot of Teng Houa Vang (Department of Homeland Security)</div>
“Another day another scourge of sexual predators, violent assailants, domestic abusers and drug traffickers arrested from the streets of Minnesota by our law enforcement,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We are in Minnesota to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens. Governor Walz and Mayor Frey refuse to let us into their jails and instead choose to release criminal illegal aliens back into Minnesota neighborhoods to victimize more Americans. Despite violence against them and a lack of cooperation from sanctuary politicians, our law enforcement will not stop their efforts to get criminals out of [the] country,” she continued.
Salvadoran national Francisco Salazar-Solorzano was arrested on DUI, domestic violence, and assault charges. Mexican national Victor Javier Bahena-Sandoval has previous arrests for domestic violence, in addition to past convictions for “disorderly conduct” and for coming back into the country illegally. Mexican national Santiago Antunes Mendiola faces charges for battery.
Spanish national Lorenzo Armillas Llaurado has a prior conviction for “felony distribution of a controlled substance.” Nigerian national Michael Opeoluwa Egbele has a prior conviction for impersonation fraud.
<div id="attachment_1028047" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1028047" class="size-medium wp-image-1028047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image006-300x300.png" alt="Michael Opeoluwa Egbele" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image006-300x300.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image006-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/image006.png 363w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Mugshot of Michael Opeoluwa Egbele (Department of Homeland Security)</div>
Operation Metro Surge has triggered protests and backlash from Democratic leaders, especially following the confrontation in which Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer. She reportedly hit him with her vehicle in Minneapolis, as DHS says the agent involved suffered internal bleeding afterward.
“Get the f**k out of Minneapolis,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at a press conference last week following the Good incident.
“We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite,” he continued, saying, “people are being hurt.”
The Daily Wire reached out to both Walz and the City of Minneapolis for comment, but they were not immediately available for a response. As of December 19, there have been 622,000 deportations since President Donald Trump took office, along with an estimated 1.9 million people who opted to self-deport, as the federal government is offering incentives to do so.

ICE, Minneapolis

ICE Picks Up Illegals With Sexual Assault, Drug Trafficking Charges Amid Minneapolis Protests

Crime

Immigration

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department has sued the state of Minnesota over affirmative action-based hiring practices.
&#8220;Today, @TheJusticeDept sued Minnesota for using affirmative action to hire for its state agencies. This is discriminatory DEI codified into bad state policy, and the Trump Administration will not stand for it,&#8221; Bondi posted on X, sharing a link to the DOJ&#8217;s official <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-department-justice-files-lawsuit-against-minnesotas-affirmative-action-regime">press release</a> on the matter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> sued Minnesota for using affirmative action to hire for its state agencies.
This is discriminatory DEI codified into bad state policy, and the Trump Administration will not stand for it. <a href="https://t.co/NcNHMftLwa">https://t.co/NcNHMftLwa</a>
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2011504118699807030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit today against the State of Minnesota challenging Minnesota’s requirement that all state agencies implement sex- and race-based affirmative action plans and consider &#8216;affirmative action goals on all staffing and personnel decisions,'&#8221; the release stated. &#8220;The State’s affirmative action program directs agencies to engage in employment practices that &#8216;balance&#8217; the sex and race composition of its workforce with the civilian labor force.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1423361/dl">suit</a> was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and asserts that Minnesota&#8217;s mandatory affirmative action-based hiring practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
&#8220;Because staffing is a zero-sum game, when Minnesota gives preferences to employees or prospective employees on the basis of their race, color, national origin, and sex, it inevitably and necessarily discriminates against other employees or prospective employees because of their race, color, national origin, and sex,&#8221; the filing stated, in part.
Bondi addressed the situation in Minnesota, saying that the lawsuit was just one way in which the DOJ was working from different angles to ensure that the state was not undermining federal policies — whether those policies pertained to enforcing immigration law, investigating fraud, or ensuring that federal efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives were not being undermined.
&#8220;From suing over sanctuary city policies to a wide-ranging fraud investigation, today&#8217;s lawsuit is the Department of Justice&#8217;s latest effort to bring Minnesota into compliance with federal law,&#8221; Bondi explained. &#8220;Making hiring decisions based on immutable characteristics like race and sex is simple discrimination, and the Trump Administration has no tolerance for such DEI policies.&#8221;
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon — at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division — added, &#8220;For far too long, courts have allowed employers to discriminate based on race and sex when it is packaged as ‘affirmative action.’ The Supreme Court put an end to using race as a factor in college admissions through its Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision. This case is the next logical step. Title VII protects all people from race and sex discrimination in employment. There is no exception that allows discrimination against employees who aren’t considered ‘underrepresented.'&#8221;

Trump To Lay Out His Plan For Reducing Crime In Nation’s Capital

DOJ Sues Minnesota Over Affirmative Action Hiring Practices: ‘DEI Codified Into Bad State Policy’

Affirmative Action

Department of Justice

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Pam Bondi

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will cut funding to sanctuary cities on the first day of February, saying that these cities are breeding &#8220;fraud and crime.&#8221;
“Starting February 1, we&#8217;re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,&#8221; the president vowed on Tuesday afternoon, adding, &#8220;and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come.”
Trump was referring to cities across the United States that have declared themselves &#8220;sanctuary cities&#8221; for illegal immigrants, cities that often attempt to buck the president&#8217;s immigration enforcement activities.
<div id="attachment_1027393" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-vows-to-cut-sanctuary-city-funding-starting-february-1/president-trump-speaks-at-the-detroit-economic-club" rel="attachment wp-att-1027393"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1027393" class="wp-image-1027393 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256115036-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256115036-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256115036-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256115036-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256115036.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to members of the Detroit Economic Club at the MotorCity Casino Hotel on January 13, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</div>
The president also slammed state officials in Minnesota over the fraud recently uncovered throughout the state, notably publicized by independent YouTuber Nick Shirley, whose viral work reached the eyes of the president and vice president. Trump accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of corruption, saying that such fraud could not have escaped Walz&#8217;s notice.
&#8220;We have also suspended payments tied to suspected scammers in Minnesota, of which there are many,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;It’s a great state. It was a great state. Now it’s getting destroyed by that stupid governor.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Starting February 1st, we&#8217;re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems… <a href="https://t.co/FyMYGilLtp">pic.twitter.com/FyMYGilLtp</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2011168853095825912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
Trump was speaking Tuesday afternoon in Detroit, Michigan, at the Detroit Economic Club, where he delivered a speech largely focused on his administration&#8217;s wins over the past year, particularly as they pertain to the United States economy.
In December, the Department of Health and Human Services <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-freezes-all-child-care-payments-to-minnesota-amid-daycare-fraud-scandal?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Freezes+%E2%80%98All+Child+Care+Payments%E2%80%99+To+Minnesota+Amid+Daycare+Fraud+Scandal">announced</a> it had frozen all child care payments to the state of Minnesota amid news of the massive fraud scandal in the state. That news came after a federal prosecutor said that there has been at least $9 billion in fraud in the state under Walz’s watch.
On Tuesday, Trump addressed the topic, saying that his administration &#8220;will now require proof of attendance in order to receive federal funding for childcare.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
PRES. TRUMP: &#8220;We will now require proof of attendance in order to receive federal funding for childcare.&#8221;
&#8220;Also, we&#8217;re freezing any and all welfare payments going to illegal immigrants, effective immediately.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/lRD4VCmctu">pic.twitter.com/lRD4VCmctu</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2011168914000978275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Also, we&#8217;re freezing any and all welfare payments going to illegal immigrants, effective immediately,&#8221; he noted.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-is-currently-paying-an-indicted-somali-fraudster-to-run-assisted-living-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported in December</a> that the Minnesota government was still paying an accused Somali fraudster to run assisted living homes as that man awaited trial for his alleged role in the nation’s largest COVID scam, in which he ran a fraudulent charity.
Walz has said he will not run for reelection but has not said he will resign from his position as governor.

President Trump Tours Ford Rouge Complex In Michigan

President Trump Vows To Cut Sanctuary City Funding Starting February 1

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Sanctuary Cities

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said that Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz refused to provide him security during a scheduled interview at the state capitol amid ongoing protests and a high-profile fraud investigation.
Bessent told conservative activist Chris Rufo that Walz is &#8220;a coward&#8221; who is &#8220;afraid of what&#8217;s coming&#8221; amid Treasury Department investigations into allegations of widespread fraud in Minnesota. The interview, which was released on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVlKt9NoSvw&amp;t=33s">The Blaze</a>, was initially scheduled to be held inside the Minnesota State Capitol, but it had to be moved to another location because Walz &#8220;would not guarantee that the Treasury Secretary of the United States of America would have police protection,&#8221; according to Bessent.
&#8220;Tim Walz is a coward. He is a coward,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2010885601038393657">said</a>, adding, &#8220;He is afraid of what&#8217;s coming. He&#8217;s not going to be able to hide behind this curtain because we will get there, and I don&#8217;t have to go into the Capitol building to investigate him. I would love for him to come to Treasury and answer some questions. I can guarantee you that he will be safe and sound then. Depending on what we discover, I don&#8217;t know about his future.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Walz&#8217;s office for comment.
The state capitol was the site of at least one large demonstration last Friday, which remained peaceful as thousands of demonstrators gathered to hold a vigil for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Walz attended the vigil at the state capitol and was surrounded by state troopers, Fox 9 <a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/minneapolis-ice-shooting-community-demands-justice-renee-good-capitol-vigil">reported</a>.
Bessent is in the Twin Cities as the Treasury Department seeks to &#8220;combat rampant government benefits fraud.&#8221; The fraud probe stems from a federal indictment against dozens of Minnesotans — most of them of Somali descent — alleging that they received state funds for welfare programs, but the funds were &#8220;diverted to benefit Somali fraud rings.”
The Treasury secretary&#8217;s visit to Minneapolis coincides with anti-ICE protests and clashes with federal law enforcement officers. The demonstrations have continued for more than five days after the shooting death of Good. Along with pushing back against the Trump administration&#8217;s fraud investigation, Minnesota also filed a lawsuit on Monday to stop the surge of federal agents to the state, arguing that Minnesota is being unfairly targeted over &#8220;differences of opinion.&#8221;
“The obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy, and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Shortly after Minnesota filed the lawsuit against the federal government, the Trump administration deployed 1,000 more Border Patrol agents to the state to continue the immigration crackdown.
On the fraud front, Bessent <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2010891373097173211">suggested</a> that the federal investigation into Minnesota uncovered some troubling issues with Ellison.
&#8220;There are evidently some disturbing tapes of AG Ellison in meetings with people who donated to him — them calling for political favors to stop the investigations,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, we&#8217;ll see. Again, I don&#8217;t want to get out ahead of the investigation. We&#8217;re going to be very methodical, and Chris, I can guarantee you, when the bear trap snaps, we&#8217;re going to get these folks.&#8221;
Bessent&#8217;s comment about Ellison likely refers to the attorney general&#8217;s highly scrutinized December 2021 meeting, during which Ellison spoke with individuals linked to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. A nearly 55-minute <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/keith-ellison-held-chummy-meeting-with-feeding-our-future-fraudsters-weeks-before-fbi-raid-audio-shows-contradicting-minnesota-ags-public-statements/">recording</a> from the meeting revealed that Ellison condemned the Minnesota Education Department&#8217;s probe into Feeding Our Future, claiming it was done in &#8220;a very racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic manner.&#8221;
When reached for comment, Ellison&#8217;s office directed The Daily Wire to an <a href="https://www.startribune.com/attorney-general-keith-ellison-my-meeting-before-feeding-our-future-raid-was-routine/601335939">op-ed</a> the attorney general wrote last April in response to criticism of the meeting.
&#8220;I took a meeting in good faith with people I didn’t know and some turned out to have done bad things,&#8221; Ellison wrote in the op-ed. &#8220;I did nothing for them and took nothing from them. Some months later, some of them were held accountable for their illegal conduct in the Feeding Our Future case, as well they should have been. I’m glad they were.&#8221;
Somali immigrants in Minnesota are also accused of funneling stolen government funds to Somalia and into the hands of the terrorist organization, Al-Shabaab.
&#8220;There&#8217;s tons of luxury properties and cars that have been bought over there,&#8221; Bessent said, referring to East Africa. &#8220;How the hell does this happen? How did it happen? President Trump is outraged. I&#8217;m outraged. The American people should be outraged.&#8221;

Tim Walz/Scott Bessent

Bessent Blasts ‘Coward’ Tim Walz For Withholding Security Amid Fraud Probe, Anti-ICE Protests

Keith Ellison

Scott Bessent

The United States Department of Agriculture is cutting off all federal funding to the state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis.
In a letter to Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey on Friday, Rollins cited the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case that led to 78 people being charged as one of the main reasons for stopping the funding. Specifically, the letter noted how the scheme for the fake children’s meal charity that took advantage of COVID-era funds abused the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program, according to the letter.
“Enough is enough! The Trump administration has uncovered MASSIVE fraud in Minnesota and Minneapolis—billions siphoned off by fraudsters. And those in charge have ZERO plan to fix it,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote. “Today, [USDA] is SUSPENDING FEDERAL FINANCIAL AWARDS to Minnesota and Minneapolis, effective immediately, until sufficient proof has been provided that the fraud has stopped.”
“No more handouts to thieves! Time to drain the Minnesota swamp and put American taxpayers first,” she added.
There has been a widespread effort by the Trump administration to crack down on fraud concerns in Minnesota, especially when it comes to Medicaid.
“The more we uncover, the more it becomes clear: it’s much worse than we were led to believe by state government officials,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, said in a video posted to X earlier this week.
“We will begin auditing Medicaid receipts and defer paying on claims based on fraud, waste, and abuse,” he continued.
The numerous fraud scandals, which have already resulted in 95 people being charged in cases ranging from Feeding Our Future to an autism fraud treatment scheme, prompted Gov. Tim Walz not to seek a third term as governor.
“I won’t mince words here. Donald Trump and his allies – in Washington, in St. Paul, and online – want to make our state a colder, meaner place. They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors,” Walz stated in his announcement. “And, ultimately, they want to take away much of what makes Minnesota the best place in America to raise a family. They’ve already begun by taking our tax dollars that were meant to help families afford child care. And they have no intention of stopping there.”
Besides the fraud scandals, Minnesota continues to be in the national spotlight following an ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis this week, with <a href="https://x.com/MattFinnFNC/status/2009742888897286391?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reporting that an extra one thousand Border Patrol agents will be headed into the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan area to supplement the 2,000 federal officers already there, with extra hands meant to allow Homeland Security Investigations officers to keep exploring fraud concerns.
On Friday night, the City of Minneapolis responded to The Daily Wire&#8217;s inquiry on the USDA&#8217;s letter, saying that the city is &#8220;communicating with State partners to understand the impacts of such a blanket cut to funding meant for residents most in need.&#8221;
&#8220;What’s abundantly clear is that Minneapolis is the latest target of the Trump administration &#8212; willing to harm Americans in service to its perceived political gain,&#8221; the statement added.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he plans to sue to the federal government, writing in an X post that &#8220;I will not allow you to take from Minnesotans in need. I&#8217;ll see you in court, [Secretary Rollins].&#8221;

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CABINET

USDA Pulls All Federal Funding From Minnesota

brooke rollins

Food Stamps

SNAP

The situation in Minnesota continues to roil the waters.
We are looking at the very real possibility of a standoff between the state government led by Governor Tim Walz — the failed vice presidential candidate who just had to step away from a third-term run in Minnesota because of the allegations of fraud — and the federal government.
On Thursday, Walz — who is in a world of hurt politically right now because of the Somali fraud scandal — compared this moment to the Civil War. Apparently, it is now the Civil War if you send ICE to enforce arrest warrants against criminals in this country.
Walz <a href="https://x.com/theblaze/status/2009324277053755577?s=20">stated</a>:
<blockquote>When things looked really bleak it was Minnesota&#8217;s first that held that line for the nation on that July 3rd, 1863. And I think now we may be in that moment; that the nation is looking to us to hold the line on democracy, to hold the line on decency, to hold the line on accountability, and more than that, to rise up as neighbors and simply say, we can look out for one another. We can have differences. But we proved to the world going on 250 years that our democracy could hold. It feels to me like we&#8217;re at one of those inflection points.</blockquote>
I&#8217;ve said many, many times that when you have high-level politicians talking this way, it is truly bad for the country. When you say we are at the point where we are going to go to war with one another and a civil war is about to break out, and it&#8217;s the end of the country, these statements turn into self-perpetuating prophecies.
That’s because the more people believe they can&#8217;t get along with their neighbors, that there is no basis for a common Americanism, the more they are likely to see each other as enemies and not political opponents.
Walz <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdZR7zeWX5Y">also said</a>:
<blockquote>I&#8217;d ask everyone to pause for a moment of silence to remember Renee Good, also to remember all that&#8217;s good and right about this nation. And, I&#8217;m going to ask folks if they can, I&#8217;d ask employers to give their people some space. I&#8217;d ask each and everyone to find a way to contribute in your community. Might be shoveling your neighbor&#8217;s walk. It might be being at a food bank.
It might be pausing to talk to someone you haven&#8217;t talked to before, but to show the goodness, to rise up to make sure that we&#8217;re being very, very clear about this, that we expect our constitutional rights to be respected, that law enforcement is local, that we expect accountability of our elected leaders and that we are not going to go quietly and we&#8217;re not going to give up on those things that matter so much to us. And chief amongst those is human dignity, respect, rule of law. All of the things that we know make this country great. </blockquote>
That’s bizarre, Orwellian language. Walz moves very quickly from “we should take this moment of silence, to go work at a food bank or talk to someone you&#8217;ve never talked to before,” to “we need to respect rule of law” while holding a moment of silence for a person who, at the very least, was involved in obstruction of the performance of law. When he says that law enforcement must be local, what he means is that federal law enforcement shouldn&#8217;t do its job.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2343-the-ben-shapiro-show?contentProgram=The%20Ben%20Shapiro%20Show&amp;contentType=ShowEpisode&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
And when he says that we should “rise up,” when he says that we have an obligation to stand up for our constitutional rights — you do not have a constitutional right to be in this country illegally, nor do you have a constitutional right to thwart federal law enforcement’s pursuit of criminal illegal immigrants and their deportation. You do not have the right to do any of those things.
All of this is part and parcel, of course, of Tim Walz&#8217;s broader agenda, which is to label ICE as the Gestapo, which is what he did last year.
You wonder why people are out there confronting ICE? When you put people in a moral position where they feel they must confront federal law enforcement and do it over and over and over again, the basic rule is: the more people are confronting law enforcement, the more there will be bad situations that emerge from those confrontations.
This is just the way the world works.
Listening to Tim Walz talk about morality is astonishing, considering that just last year <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1933545681580409048">he said</a> that China — a true authoritarian state — might be the global moral authority.
He said: 
<blockquote>Who holds the moral authority? Who holds the ability to do that, because we are not seen as a neutral actor and we maybe never were. I don&#8217;t want to tell anybody that; I think there&#8217;s a lot of people say you always lean one way in this, but I think there was at least an attempt to be somewhat of the arbitrator in this. We saw President Carter do it with Begin and Sadat. We&#8217;ve had certain wins along the way that were actually mutually beneficial both ways. Now I ask who that is. And I mean consistently over and over again, we&#8217;re going to have to face the reality. It might be the Chinese.</blockquote>
Unbelievable. That person is the person who&#8217;s now the moral authority talking about authoritarianism? Remember, he presided over the riots in 2020 that shut down a city in his state because he was unable to handle basic law enforcement functions in his state.
The reason that Tim Walz is going so hard here is because he recently had to step away from running for a third-term because of the fraud in his state — a fraud scandal largely emanating from the Somali community, which, of course, is the community at issue in these immigration raids from ICE.
For Walz to preach about morality and the rule of law, he has to ignore his own history.
And he’s doing just that.

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