White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a 37-year-old man was shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, escalating the ongoing clash between state leaders and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement and the federal operation known as Operation Metro Surge.
In a statement directed at the Democratic governor, Leavitt argued that Walz has failed to support public safety and cooperation with federal law enforcement.
“Tim Walz does NOT believe in law and order,” Leavitt wrote. “No amount of propaganda from his allies in the liberal media will convince the American people otherwise.”
Leavitt went on to accuse Walz of blocking coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and resisting federal efforts to arrest and remove what she described as “dangerous criminal illegal aliens” from Minnesota communities. She also alleged 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 comments referenced the expanded federal presence in Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, which has brought a large deployment of Department of Homeland Security personnel — including ICE and Customs and Border Protection — to carry out immigration enforcement. The operation, launched in late 2025 and continuing into 2026, has resulted in numerous arrests and has drawn intense criticism after multiple high-profile confrontations, including the shooting that prompted weekend protests.
Leavitt also accused Walz of encouraging what she described as “left-wing agitators” to monitor and record federal officers during lawful operations. She claimed that such actions have resulted in officers being “doxxed, targeted, impeded, and placed in extremely dangerous situations,” and argued that the governor’s rhetoric has increased risks for federal agents working in the field.
The criticism comes as Walz and other local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have called for an end to the Operation Metro Surge deployment. They argue that the presence of heavily armed federal agents has intensified tensions and raised safety concerns for residents. Walz has also questioned the federal investigation into the shooting, urging more transparency and a larger role for local authorities.
In recent social media posts, Walz has called on the president to withdraw federal agents from the state, describing the operation as dangerous and counterproductive. He has urged the administration to “pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
Leavitt broadened her critique by pointing to earlier controversies involving Walz, including his response to unrest in Minneapolis in 2020. She argued that close cooperation between local and federal law enforcement — like the approach she cited in states such as Florida and Texas — leads to greater “peace and safety.” She ended by calling on Walz to “work WITH, rather than AGAINST, federal law enforcement.”
As protests continue and legal challenges move forward, Leavitt’s remarks highlight how the Minneapolis shooting has become a major political flashpoint — intensifying national debate over immigration policy, federal authority, and public safety.
