Overview
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a Friday press conference at the Whipple Building at Fort Snelling to highlight ICE operations, speaking alongside seized guns and narcotics.
- Noem said at least 515,000 people have been arrested and deported since January, adding that 70% had pending or criminal charges.
- She announced thousands of newly trained ICE officers will deploy to field offices in the coming weeks, including the St. Paul office, with Minnesota expected to receive dozens of additional agents funded by a July spending law.
- Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building, and organizers scheduled a "No Trump No Troops" rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, as Minneapolis and St. Paul leaders reaffirmed local non-cooperation policies.
- Noem said any National Guard deployment would be the president’s decision, as the DOJ’s lawsuit against Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul over sanctuary policies continues.