President Donald Trump defended federal immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota on Sunday and sharply criticized state and local officials for resisting the operations.
“ICE is removing some of the most violent criminals in the World from our Country, and bring them back home, where they belong. Why is Minnesota fighting this? Do they really want murderers and drug dealers to be ensconced in their community? The thugs that are protesting include many highly paid professional agitators and anarchists. Is this really what Minnesota wants? The crooked Governor and ‘Congresswoman’ Omar, who married her brother, don’t mind because it keeps the focus of attention off the 18 Billion Dollar, Plus, FRAUD, that has taken place in the State! Don’t worry, we’re on it!”
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 07:15 AM EST 01.18.26 pic.twitter.com/3bNGhtBwog
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 18, 2026
Trump’s comments come amid ongoing protests against the surge of ICE and other federal law enforcement agents in the Minneapolis area, sparked in part by the fatal shooting of 37‑year-old Renée Nicole Good by an ICE officer during a recent operation. Critics have decried the federal presence as heavy-handed, while the president framed it as removing “violent criminals” from the state.
Demonstrators have organized marches under slogans such as “Abolish ICE” and called for an end to the federal enforcement operations. Trump’s post also labeled some protesters as “highly paid professional agitators and anarchists” and suggested local Democratic leaders were ignoring public safety issues to distract from alleged fraud in Minnesota.
The controversy has raised the specter of the Insurrection Act, which Trump threatened to invoke earlier in the week if state officials did not control protests he claimed were attacking federal personnel. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have called for peaceful protest while filing legal action against the federal government over the ICE operations, calling them unconstitutional.
