Department Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that federal immigration authorities have arrested more than 10,000 criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota, marking what she described as the largest illegal immigration enforcement operation the state has ever seen. The arrests, carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alongside other federal agencies, are part of a sustained interior enforcement crackdown ordered under President Donald Trump’s renewed push to aggressively enforce immigration law.
Stephen Miller and Sec Kristi Noem singing along to ‘ICE ICE Baby’ at Mar-a-Lago is the perfect start to 2026 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZhA5ujhNn2
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 1, 2026
According to the DHS and Kristi Noem, more than 10,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested in the Minneapolis area since the start of the second Trump administration, with roughly 3,000 of those arrests occurring in just the past six weeks alone.
Highlighting the pace and scale of the operation, Kristi Noem declared, “PEACE AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN MINNEAPOLIS!” She said those taken into custody “were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis because Tim Walz and Jacob Frey refuse to protect their own people and instead protect criminals.”
Federal officials said the illegal immigrant enforcement surge has focused on identifying and arresting illegal immigrants with serious criminal histories, including violent repeat offenders. The operation involves ICE agents, Border Patrol officers, Homeland Security Investigations personnel, and other DHS law enforcement units working jointly across the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area.
Kristi Noem emphasized the severity of the crimes tied to those arrested and praised federal agents for their work. “In the last 6 weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens including vicious murders, rapists, child pedophiles and incredibly dangerous individuals. A HUGE victory for public safety,” she said.
After announcing the arrest totals, Kristi Noem pivoted to what she described as a massive and still-unfolding fraud scandal in Minnesota. She said Homeland Security Investigations teams are now on the ground examining alleged large-scale theft from taxpayer-funded programs. “There is MASSIVE Fraud in Minneapolis, at least $19 billion and that’s just the tip of iceberg. Our Homeland Security Investigators are on the ground in Minneapolis conducting wide scale investigations to get justice for the American people who have been robbed blind,” she wrote.
BREAKING: Secretary Kristi Noem flames country singer Zach Bryan.
I just asked Noem about the new Zach Bryan song attacking ICE. Noem went scorched-earth calling the woke singer “completely disrespectful” to the law enforcement that protect him.
Secretary Noem: “I hope Zach… pic.twitter.com/MPXuVshPnM
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 7, 2025
“There is 19 Billion Dollars in Somalia Fraud. Fake ‘Congresswoman’ Ilhan Omar, a constant complainer who hates the USA, knows everything there is to know. She should be in jail, or even a worse punishment, sent back to Somalis, considered one of the absolutely worst countries in the World. She could help to MAKE SOMALIA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote.
Kristi Noem has repeatedly accused Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of creating an environment that shields criminal offenders through illegal immigrant sanctuary-style policies and resistance to federal immigration detainers. She said those policies allowed dangerous individuals to remain free despite posing clear risks to public safety.
ICE leadership has backed Noem’s assessment, stating that removing criminal illegal aliens prevents repeat offenses and protects communities. Federal officials say many of those arrested had lengthy criminal records and, in some cases, final orders of removal that had gone unenforced for years.
While the enforcement surge has sparked protests and legal challenges from immigration activists and civil liberties groups, Kristi Noem has dismissed the criticism, saying public safety remains the priority. She has made clear the operation will continue and that additional arrests are expected as investigations expand.
As Minnesota becomes a flashpoint in the national illegal immigration debate, the Trump administration and Kristi Noem say the message is unmistakable: immigration laws will be enforced, criminal offenders will be removed, and federal authorities will act when local leaders refuse to do so.
