In a tweet posted on January 6, 2026, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sharply criticized a recent federal immigration enforcement action in the Twin Cities.
The Governor’s statement specifically referenced an incident at the Ridgedale Library in Minnetonka, where dozens of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were involved in the arrest of one individual. Sharing video of the event, Walz wrote: “Ridiculous. Nobody is fooled into thinking this bafoonery is a reasonable use of taxpayer dollars. It should not take 50 ICE agents to arrest one guy in a library.”
This public criticism comes amid “Operation Metro Surge,” a large-scale federal deployment of approximately 2,000 agents targeting undocumented immigrants, with a reported focus on Somali communities in connection to fraud investigations.
Governor Walz’s comments follow his announcement just one day prior, on January 5, 2026, that he will not seek re-election for a third term. He stated his intention to focus on addressing fraud and restoring public trust for the remainder of his tenure.
