Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivered a prime-time address Wednesday night, urging residents to document Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in their communities and describing what he called mounting disorder tied to federal enforcement actions.
“If you see these ICE agents in your neighborhood, take out that phone and hit record,” Walz said. “Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans, not just to establish a record for posterity, but to bank evidence for future prosecution.”
Walz said the federal presence in Minnesota has been unlike anything he has seen, arguing that the scale of the operations and their impact have not been fully captured publicly. He described ICE agents as “armed, masked, undertrained,” and alleged they have been conducting door-to-door actions, stopping drivers, and questioning individuals—including U.S. citizens—about immigration documents.
The governor also addressed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who has said he acted in self-defense. Walz referenced video of the incident and criticized the federal response.
“We’ve all watched the video, we’ve all seen what happened,” Walz said. “And yet instead of conducting an impartial investigation so we can hold accountable the officer responsible for his death, the Trump administration is devoting the full power of the federal government to finding an excuse to attack the victim and her family.”
Walz pointed to the recent resignation of federal prosecutors as further evidence of internal disagreement over how the case is being handled. “Just yesterday, six federal prosecutors, including long-time career prosecutors, quit their jobs rather than go along with this assault on the United States Constitution,” he said.
He also criticized President Donald Trump, citing online statements Walz characterized as threatening and accusing the administration of fueling instability. “Donald Trump wants this chaos,” Walz said. “He wants confusion. And yes, he wants more violence on our streets. We cannot give him what he wants. We can’t. We must protest loudly, urgently, but also peacefully.”
Walz closed by urging Minnesotans to stay united and watchful. “We’re an island of decency in a country being driven towards cruelty,” he said. “We will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, of peace. And tonight I come before you simply to ask: Don’t let anyone take that away from us. Thank you. Protect each other. And may God bless the people of Minnesota.”
The address comes as ICE activity continues in the state, a week after Good’s death drew widespread attention. Federal agents have continued enforcement actions targeting undocumented individuals, while some Minnesota lawmakers have drafted articles of impeachment against Walz over his response to the situation.
