DHS demands MN leaders honor ICE detainers, alleges hundreds of criminal aliens have been released under Walz
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is demanding Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey honor federal immigration detainers for the more than 1,300 criminal illegal aliens within the state's custody, after hundreds were allegedly let back on the streets.
Both Walz and Frey "refuse" to cooperate with federal immigration officials, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who accused the pair of releasing nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens back onto Minneapolis' streets.
"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. "It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans."
Last week, Frey told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to "get the f---- out" of his city, while Walz similarly told the Trump administration to "leave Minnesota alone," following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by an ICE official. Mayor Frey has also issued an executive order prohibiting federal agents from using city property to conduct operations, and a city separation ordinance was recently bolstered by local Minneapolis officials to protect illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, in February of last year, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a formal opinion arguing state law prohibited state and local law enforcement from holding someone solely on an ICE civil detainer.
The consequences of not adhering to ICE detainers were felt hard in one Northern Virginia county last year after an illegal immigrant with a detainer was released from custody and killed someone a day later.
However, Walz's office told Fox News Digital that DHS's accusations "are categorically false," arguing the state's Department of Corrections "honors all federal and local detainers," including those from ICE.
"We always have," a Walz spokesperson said. "We also notify ICE of the anticipated release date so they can arrange transfer from DOC custody if they so choose."
The spokesperson noted that there are times "when a person in DOC custody is subject to multiple detainers or holds," but noted that "if they are released to an agency other than ICE, the ICE detainer remains active, and DOC ensures the receiving agency is informed of the ICE hold." They added that ICE is also responsible for arranging any detainee pickups and said that for every transfer the Minnesota Department of Corrections makes, it "verifies transportation and transfer arrangements to ensure the release is safe, secure, and coordinated."
In the Minnesota prison system, there are 207 people on an ICE detainer currently, according to Walz's office.
Thousands of federal immigration officials have been deployed to the Twin Cities to assist with deportation efforts, with more to come and plans to begin commencing door-to-door operations, according to Vice President J.D. Vance.
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Since Saturday, ICE officials have released several examples of the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal aliens arrested during the surge in deportation operations in Minnesota. Child predators, individuals with murder charges and drug traffickers are among those on the DHS's list.
Leny Odemel Ramirez-Santos, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras who was charged with sex offenses against a child and driving under the influence; Edwin Amable Ashca Ninasuta, a criminal illegal alien from Ecuador charged with committing sexual acts with a minor; Lenda Neh Mama Epse George, a criminal illegal alien from Cameroon charged with cruelty toward a child and domestic violence; German Adriano Llangari Inga, a criminal illegal alien from Ecuador charged with homicide; Puol Both, a criminal illegal alien from Sudan convicted of making terroristic threats and several burglaries; and Somsalao Thonesavanh, a criminal illegal alien from Laos convicted of drug trafficking and selling a synthetic narcotic, are among the "worst of the worst" shared by DHS on Monday.
Over the weekend, DHS also shared that nearly a dozen criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota who have been convicted of killing someone have been arrested in Minneapolis as well. Many of the individuals were ordered to be previously deported, but remained inside the country.