American journalist Megyn Kelly offered a provocative response to the fatal federal agent‑involved shooting in Minneapolis on Saturday, advocating for an immediate end to immigration enforcement operations in the state and a hard‑line approach toward undocumented immigrants nationwide.
In a statement posted on social media, Kelly wrote that President Donald Trump “should pull ICE out of MN today & announce that there will be no more immigration enforcement in MN at all.” She went further, saying that if her proposal were implemented, “all illegals in the US are encouraged to move there. And if any illegal is found outside of MN & gets deported, they can never apply for re‑entry.”
.@realDonaldTrump should pull ICE out of MN today & announce that there will be no more immigration enforcement in MN at all. All illegals in the US are encouraged to move there. And if any illegal is found outside of MN & gets deported, they can never apply for re-entry. https://t.co/yTQfOggKKs
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 24, 2026
Kelly’s remarks come after the second fatal shooting involving federal law enforcement in Minneapolis in recent weeks, following a spike in immigration enforcement under Operation Metro Surge. U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials said Border Patrol agents fired in self‑defense after a man armed with a 9 mm handgun and two magazines resisted disarmament during a targeted operation in the city. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 24, 2026
The officers attempted to… pic.twitter.com/5Y50mYONGH
Kelly’s call for a complete withdrawal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from Minnesota reflects growing frustration among some conservative commentators over how federal immigration policy is being implemented. Her suggestion to designate Minnesota as a de facto safe haven for undocumented immigrants and to bar re‑entry for those deported outside the state underscores her hard‑line stance on immigration enforcement.
The Minneapolis shooting — occurring amidmass protests against ICE operations and clashes between demonstrators and federal agents — has reignited a national debate over the role of federal immigration law enforcement in urban communities. Thousands of Minnesotans participated in coordinated protests days before the incident, including a statewide economic blackout to oppose aggressive federal action.
Critics of federal operations, including local officials and civil rights groups, have argued that the heavy deployment of agents creates additional risks for residents and inflames tensions on the ground. Supporters of the enforcement surge, however, maintain that agents are acting to uphold federal law and protect public safety.
Kelly’s remarks amplify a faction of conservative opinion calling for bolder responses to escalating unrest and federal‑local tensions in Minneapolis, framing the situation as not only a policy dispute but a broader clash over who should determine how immigration laws are enforced in American cities.
