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But one figure stands out above the rest.
According to McLaughlin, Minnesota officials have already released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens that ICE specifically requested to keep in custody.
“We are calling on Walz and Frey to stop this dangerous policy and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 1,360 criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota’s custody,” McLaughlin said.
She left no doubt about the stakes involved.
“It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”
The Legal Cover That Opened the Floodgates
Minnesota officials insist they are following the law. DHS says that defense traces back to a legal opinion issued earlier this year by Keith Ellison.
In February 2025, Ellison released guidance arguing that local law enforcement could face “significant civil liability” for holding individuals based solely on ICE detainers, since those requests are not judicial warrants.
The timing raised eyebrows.
The opinion surfaced just weeks after President Trump returned to office and restarted aggressive immigration enforcement nationwide. Critics argue the move handed local leaders a ready-made excuse to ignore ICE altogether.
Walz’s office now claims Minnesota “always” honors detainers and insists DHS’s accusations are “categorically false.”
DHS officials disagree, pointing to release data that tells a very different story.
A Deadly Warning From Virginia
Federal officials warn that ignoring ICE detainers has real-world consequences, not just political ones.
In Fairfax County, Virginia, an illegal alien named Marvin Morales-Ortez was released from custody last month despite an active ICE detainer. He had previously been arrested for assault and brandishing a firearm, and ICE requested he be held.
Within 24 hours of his release, Morales-Ortez allegedly murdered someone.
“There is blood on the hands of Fairfax County politicians for pushing policies that released this illegal alien from jail and onto the streets of Virginia,” McLaughlin said.
DHS says Minnesota’s numbers suggest the same risk is unfolding on a much larger scale.
ICE Operations Expose Who Was Let Go
Since ICE launched Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, agents say they’ve been tracking down criminals previously released under state and city policies.
Those arrests include convicted child sex offenders, drug traffickers tied to fentanyl and heroin distribution, and illegal aliens facing homicide charges who were never deported despite final removal orders.
One case cited by ICE involved Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, a convicted sex offender from Somalia. He had a criminal sexual conduct conviction, a prior assault arrest, and an active warrant when ICE finally apprehended him in December 2025.
“Thanks to the sanctuary policies of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, this dangerous criminal was free to prowl the streets and victimize Minneapolis residents for years,” ICE said.
Minneapolis Pushes Back as Feds Push Forward
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has openly clashed with federal authorities, even telling ICE agents to “get the f— out” of the city following a fatal shooting involving an ICE agent.
Frey issued an executive order barring federal agents from using city property during operations and strengthened city ordinances separating local police from immigration enforcement.
Walz echoed the defiance, urging the Trump administration to “leave Minnesota alone.”
But the White House is not backing down.
Vice President J.D. Vance announced that thousands of federal immigration agents are being deployed to the Twin Cities, including plans for door-to-door operations targeting criminal illegal aliens.
Federal officials say enforcement will continue with or without cooperation from state and city leaders.
The only unanswered question, DHS warns, is how many more Americans will pay the price while Minnesota’s leadership prioritizes sanctuary politics over public safety.
