Walz says DHS is inflating Operation Metro Surge success in Minnesota
Minnesota Gov.Tim Walz accused the Department of homeland Security of overstating the results of Operation Metro Surge, saying federal officials took credit for arrests and transfers that occurred before the operation began. His claim was prompted by a Minnesota Public Radio inquiry showing many people DHS listed as new arrests had been moved into ICE custody immediately after finishing state prison sentences – some transfers dated back years and predated the Dec. 1, 2025 start of the intensified ICE activity. walz called the federal messaging “propaganda” and criticized the operation as political theater; his office and DHS did not respond to requests for comment. The dispute underscores a widening rift between Minnesota and federal authorities: the Justice Department has subpoenaed Walz and other state officials over alleged interference with immigration enforcement, and Attorney General Pam bondi is probing potential civil-rights violations after protesters disrupted a church service in St. Paul.
Walz says DHS is inflating Operation Metro Surge success in Minnesota
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) took to social media Wednesday to accuse the Department of Homeland Security of inflating the number of illegal immigrant arrests in Minnesota.
In a post on X, Walz alleged that DHS is misleading the public by taking credit for the law enforcement world that occurred before the start of Operation Metro Surge in December.
“The federal government’s propaganda machine is taking credit for work that happened long before thousands of untrained agents showed up to put on a show for Trump,” Walz said in the post.
The governor’s comments were fueled by a report from Minnesota Public Radio News that examined lists shared by DHS officials on Jan. 12.
The investigation by the outlet alleges that many of the people DHS claimed as new arrests had actually been transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody immediately following the completion of their prison sentences in Minnesota.
According to the report, these transfers occurred before the Dec. 1, 2025, start of the intensified ICE operations in Minnesota, with some cases dating back several years.
Walz pointed to the report as proof that Minnesota has “never wavered” in wanting to keep criminals off the streets.
Walz’s office did not respond to a request for additional comment nor did it verify the information published by Minnesota Public Radio News.
DHS did not respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
The dispute highlights the deepening rift between the state of Minnesota and the federal government.
On Tuesday, the governor extended an invitation to President Donald Trump, inviting him to see Minnesotans’ values instead of participating in what he described as “political theater.”
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The inflation claim follows the Department of Justice serving subpoenas to Walz and other state officials to investigate alleged interference with immigration law enforcement.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has also launched an investigation into possible civil rights violations after protesters stormed a church service in St. Paul.
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