President Donald Trump warned Minnesota residents on Tuesday, January 13, that a day of “reckoning and retribution” is coming amid the state’s anti-ICE protests and the alleged fraud scandal, among other issues.
Trump criticized Minnesota in a Truth Social post, saying the state harbors “thousands” of “deadly criminals,” including murderers, escaped prisoners, and drug dealers. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday, January 12, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested dozens of undocumented immigrants over the past weekend.
Homeland Security highlighted 10 individuals in a press release, including two who had previously been arrested for child cruelty and three with prior assault charges. Those caught in Operation Metro Surge came from various countries, including Somalia, Laos, and Mexico.
“We will not let rioters or sanctuary politicians slow us down from arresting and removing the worst of the worst from Minnesota neighborhoods,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump – Jan 13 2026, 8:40 AM ET )
Do the people of Minnesota really want to live in a community in which there are thousands of already convicted murderers, drug dealers and addicts, rapists, violent released and escaped… pic.twitter.com/nJoa1pmlFn
— Fan Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) January 13, 2026
“All the patriots of ICE want to do is remove them from your neighborhood and send them back to the prisons and mental institutions from where they came,” Trump wrote on Tuesday. He added, “Most in foreign Countries who illegally entered the USA [through] Sleepy Joe Biden’s HORRIBLE Open [borders] Policy.”
The arrests occurred amid protests over the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good. ICE and the U.S. government, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, have described the shooting as self-defense. Officials said Good intended to use her vehicle as a weapon in an act of domestic terrorism.
Videos show Good attempting to drive away from ICE agents, one of whom had an arm inside the car. Another agent was directly in front of the vehicle when Good put it into drive.
According to the BBC, Minneapolis officials said 30 people were arrested during the weekend protests. A police officer sustained minor injuries after a protester allegedly threw ice at them. Videos on social media show protesters gathering outside the Canopy Hotel, where they believed ICE agents were staying. The protesters flashed lights at the windows and loudly cursed at hotel guests.
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From the scene of the crash at the Canopy Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. The female driver went stumbling off (pictured).
Site of a very large anti-ICE protest.
20:39 pic.twitter.com/zSviae9rcB
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) January 10, 2026
Minnesota is also dealing with a high-profile fraud scandal. As of January 13, federal prosecutors have charged nearly 100 individuals in connection with fraud tied to Minnesota social services programs, including child care, food, autism programs, and housing.
Most defendants are of Somali descent, and roughly 60 have been convicted so far. Prosecutors estimate that the total amount of fraud could reach $9 billion, dating back to 2021. The “Quality Learing Center,” which allegedly operated as a daycare center and received federal funding despite being inactive and having a misspelled sign, officially closed earlier this month.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently announced that he will not run for re-election. Walz, who turns 62 on April 6, has been Minnesota’s governor since 2019.
“Minnesota Democrats love the unrest that anarchists and professional agitators are causing because it gets the spotlight off of the 19 Billion Dollars that was stolen by really bad and deranged people,” Trump wrote.
