Overview
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz likened ICE agents to the Nazi Gestapo during a University of Minnesota Law School commencement speech over the weekend.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin labeled the comments 'sickening,' linking such rhetoric to a 413% increase in assaults on ICE officers.
- Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons demanded an apology from Walz, stating the comparison endangers ICE agents and undermines their work.
- Walz criticized ICE’s tactics, alleging detainees are taken in unmarked vans and denied due process, while federal officials defended ICE’s role in apprehending violent offenders.
- The controversy highlights ongoing partisan tensions over immigration enforcement, civil liberties, and political rhetoric surrounding federal agencies.