American journalist Megyn Kelly offered a provocative reaction to the fatal, federal agent–involved shooting in Minneapolis on Saturday, urging an abrupt shift in immigration enforcement strategy — both in the state and nationwide.
In a statement posted on social media, Kelly said President Donald Trump should “pull ICE out of MN today & announce that there will be no more immigration enforcement in MN at all.” She added that under her proposal, “all illegals in the US are encouraged to move there,” and argued that any undocumented person found outside Minnesota, deported, and removed from the country “can never apply for re-entry.”
Her comments followed the second fatal shooting involving federal law enforcement in Minneapolis in recent weeks, as immigration activity reportedly increased under Operation Metro Surge. Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents fired in self-defense after a man armed with a 9mm handgun and two magazines resisted efforts to disarm him during a targeted operation in the city. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kelly’s call to withdraw U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from Minnesota reflects growing frustration among some conservative voices over how immigration enforcement is being carried out. Her suggestion would effectively treat Minnesota as a destination state for undocumented immigrants while imposing an unusually strict national consequence for anyone found elsewhere and deported.
The shooting unfolded amid mass protests against ICE operations, including clashes between demonstrators and federal agents, renewing debate over how federal immigration enforcement should operate in major cities. Days before the incident, thousands of Minnesotans participated in coordinated protests, including a statewide economic blackout opposing aggressive federal action.
Critics — including local officials and civil-rights groups — argue that heavy federal deployments can heighten risk for residents and inflame tensions. Supporters of the enforcement surge counter that agents are enforcing federal law and say the operations are necessary for public safety.
Kelly’s remarks add to a hard-line chorus calling for more aggressive political responses to unrest and growing federal–local friction in Minneapolis, framing the situation not just as a policy disagreement but as a larger fight over who should decide how immigration laws are enforced in American cities.
