Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) has re-escalated his criticism of the Trump administration this week following discussions with President Donald J. Trump and Border Czar Tom Homan that drew protests from far-left activists. The talks occurred after the shooting of anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minnesota.
In a statement, Walz said: “They started this fire, and we are not going to give them credit for putting it out.” His remarks follow a history of inflaming public opinion against federal law enforcement, including comparisons between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Adolf Hitler’s Gestapo.
During an interview, Walz acknowledged a “tone shift” in discussions with Homan but questioned the sincerity of Trump officials, arguing they are infected with “a cruelty that runs so deep.” He claimed the administration reached out to him specifically due to media criticism of the Pretti shooting. Walz recently drew sharp backlash from the U.S. Holocaust Museum after comparing ICE efforts to arrest illegal immigrants in Minnesota—including killers and violent pedophiles—to Nazis hunting Anne Frank.
Walz’s return to criticizing federal immigration enforcement follows pressure from far-left activists who surrounded his state capitol office after his talks with Homan. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), who also held discussions with Trump and Homan initially reported as positive, has since vowed his city will not uphold federal immigration law, prompting President Trump to warn he is “playing with fire.”
