State prisons, rural sheriffs dismantle ICE’s inflated Minnesota 'criminal alien' claims
State and local records and officials have undercut federal claims that hundreds of deportable or violent noncitizens were being released from Minnesota custody without coordination, with DOC and county jail counts showing roughly 200 non‑citizens in prison, fewer than 100 in county jails, and about 84 planned 2025 releases coordinated with ICE. Specific local examples — a Cottonwood County sheriff who called ICE but was reportedly told agents were too busy, plus a flawed St. Paul raid and inaccurate ICE wanted notices — further expose gaps and misstatements in the federal narrative.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS and Gov. Kristi Noem have argued Operation Metro Surge exists because Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey “refuse to cooperate,” but Minnesota DOC commissioner Schnell says that claim is untrue and that the state does cooperate with ICE.
- Federal DHS/ICE headline numbers — 470 “released” deportable offenders and 1,360 deportable violent criminals allegedly in Minnesota custody — contrast sharply with Minnesota DOC and county jail counts: roughly 200 non‑citizens in state prison, fewer than 100 in county jails, and 84 releases in 2025 that were coordinated with ICE.
- The Minnesota DOC routinely releases people directly to ICE at the end of sentences, and many of the high‑profile “worst of the worst” offenders cited by Noem originated from DOC handoffs rather than from county jails secretly releasing people.
- In the Cottonwood County case that Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino cited as a Minneapolis release, the county sheriff says the jail notified ICE when a 20‑year‑old was bonding out but ICE declined to respond, saying it was too busy — undermining the federal narrative that local authorities won’t hold people for ICE.
- A high‑profile St. Paul raid by ICE that removed an American citizen from his home in subzero cold has been criticized for federal sloppiness: ICE later posted a “wanted” flyer including one suspect who has been in prison for nearly two years and another person the family says they have never heard of.
📊 Relevant Data
Somali immigrants in Minnesota have higher rates of involvement in fraud and certain crimes compared to natives, with overrepresentation in welfare fraud cases linked to concentrated resettlement areas.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
Somali Minnesotans generate at least $500 million in income annually and pay about $67 million in state and local taxes, contributing to economic growth through business ownership and employment.
Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay $67M taxes annually — KSTP
Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota has led to arrests of members from gangs including Tren de Aragua, with a focus on violent criminals and previously deported individuals.
ICE Continues Arresting Worst of the Worst in Sanctuary Minneapolis Including Pedophiles, Gang Members, and Previously Deported Criminal Illegal Aliens — Department of Homeland Security
Venezuelan immigrants, including those affiliated with Tren de Aragua, have been targeted in ICE arrests in Minnesota, with per capita crime rates among Venezuelan immigrants in the US being lower than natives in some categories but higher in gang-related activities.
'Worst of the worst' criminal migrants arrested in Minnesota: Trump — New York Post
Minnesota's Somali population is approximately 80,000, representing about 1.4% of the state's total population, with economic contributions including support for around a billion dollars in federal, state, and local economic activity through work and business.
FAQ: Economic Contributions of Somalis in Minnesota — Empowering Strategies
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Spells out DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s talking point that Operation Metro Surge exists because Walz and Frey 'refuse to cooperate,' then contrasts it with Schnell flatly saying, 'It’s untrue. We cooperate.'
- Puts DHS’s headline claims—470 'released' deportable offenders and 1,360 deportable violent criminals in Minnesota custody—directly against DOC and jail counts of about 200 non‑citizens in prison and fewer than 100 in county jails, and 84 2025 releases with coordination, exposing the gulf.
- Details the Cottonwood County case Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino misrepresented as a Minneapolis release: the sheriff says his jail called ICE as soon as they knew the 20‑year‑old was bonding out, but ICE said it was too busy to come—blowing a hole in DHS’s narrative that locals won’t hold people.
- Re‑highlights the St. Paul battering‑ram raid and the American citizen yanked out of his house half‑dressed in subzero cold, and points out ICE later posted a 'wanted' flyer with one suspect who’s been in prison for nearly two years and another the current family has never heard of, underscoring federal sloppiness.
- Clarifies that DOC routinely releases people directly to ICE when sentences end and that many of the very 'worst of the worst' offenders Noem is waving around came straight from DOC handoffs, not from jails sneaking people out the back door.