Following the shooting of a 37‑year‑old man by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, sharply criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, framing her remarks as a challenge to his leadership and response to escalating tensions over the federal immigration enforcement operation known as Operation Metro Surge. The incident has reignited political conflict between state leaders and the Trump administration over immigration policy and law enforcement tactics.
“Tim Walz does NOT believe in law and order,” Leavitt wrote in a message aimed squarely at the Democratic governor. “No amount of propaganda from his allies in the liberal media will convince the American people otherwise.” Her statement went on to allege wide‑ranging criticism of Walz’s approach to federal and local law enforcement cooperation — much of it tied directly to ongoing disputes over ICE operations in Minnesota communities.
Tim Walz does NOT believe in law and order.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 25, 2026
No amount of propaganda from his allies in the liberal media will convince the American people otherwise.
Under the incompetent leadership of Tim Walz, Minnesota oversaw massive fraud schemes that resulted in tens of billions of… https://t.co/yA3nhduVVk
Leavitt accused Walz of permitting “massive fraud schemes that resulted in tens of billions of dollars in stolen American taxpayer funds” and resisting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in arresting and removing “dangerous criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota communities.” She claimed that since President Trump took office, Walz has “released nearly 500 criminal illegal aliens back onto Minnesota’s streets instead of transferring them to federal law enforcement custody.”
Her post directly referenced the heightened federal presence in Minnesota, where Operation Metro Surge has deployed thousands of Department of Homeland Security agents, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection personnel, to conduct immigration enforcement activities. The operation, launched in late 2025 and continuing into 2026, has led to numerous arrests and several deadly encounters between federal agents and civilians, including the shooting that sparked widespread protests over the weekend.
Leavitt also accused Walz of encouraging what she described as “left‑wing agitators” to monitor and record federal officers during operations, saying that has “led to officers being doxxed, targeted, impeded, and placed in extremely dangerous situations.” She tied her critique to the broader national debate on immigration and public safety, asserting that Walz’s leadership has “placed targets on the backs of the men and women who risk their lives every day” to remove criminal offenders.
The comments came as state and local leaders, including Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have demanded an end to the Operation Metro Surge deployment, arguing that the presence of heavily armed federal agents has strained resources and heightened risk to residents. Walz and other officials have also expressed distrust of the federal investigation into the recent shooting, pushing for greater transparency and involvement from local authorities.
The governor has publicly called for the withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota, describing the surge of immigration enforcement as dangerous and counterproductive. In social media posts, Walz has said the operation must end and urged the president to “pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
Today, we lost another Minneapolis neighbor after multiple ICE agents pummeled him and shot him to death.
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) January 24, 2026
How many more people need to die or get shot before this ends?
President Trump, I am calling on you to put the American people and this American city first & get ICE out. pic.twitter.com/iGkziVRPUI
Leavitt invoked broader political controversies tied to Walz’s record, including his response to unrest in Minneapolis during the summer of 2020, and argued that cooperation among law enforcement, as seen in states like Florida and Texas, produces greater “peace and safety.” She concluded her message by urging Walz to “work WITH, rather than AGAINST, federal law enforcement.”
As protests continue and legal challenges to the federal operation proceed, Leavitt’s remarks underscore how the fallout from the Minneapolis shooting has deepened political fault lines over immigration policy, federal authority and public safety — turning what began as a law enforcement incident into a flashpoint in the broader national debate.
