Minnesota state prison leaders argue they always coordinate with ICE when releasing inmates.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Trump administration is spotlighting Minnesota’s alleged lack of cooperation with immigration enforcement, but state officials say the comments are misleading because they are indeed working with federal agencies.
Minnesota’s cooperation with ICE
What we know:
The state of Minnesota works with ICE detainers for prisoners, but county boards set their own rules for jails. Some require judicial review before coordinating, which is beyond the control of Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has blamed Operation Metro Surge on the refusal of Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey to cooperate with ICE. Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell insists, “It’s untrue. We cooperate.”
Discrepancies in arrest claims
What they’re saying:
Noem and surge leaders have accused Minnesota of releasing nearly 470 deportable criminals since President Trump took office. Schnell counters that only 84 inmates with ICE detainers were released in 2025, and in every case, they coordinated with ICE.
DHS claims another 1,360 deportable violent criminals are in Minnesota custody. Prison records indicate about 200 non-citizens in state custody and fewer than 100 in county jails.
The other side:
Federal agents sometimes appear confused about custody status. For instance, Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino mentioned a 20-year-old who was arrested in Cottonwood County, not Minneapolis as he claimed. The sheriff’s office says they immediately notified ICE when they found out he would be released soon, but agents couldn’t pick him up immediately.
Arrests and misunderstandings
What we know:
ICE agents have faced criticism for their actions, such as breaking into a St. Paul home without a warrant and detaining an American citizen in barely any clothing on a very cold morning. They later issued a wanted poster for two suspects they said they were seeking in that house, one of whom has been in prison for nearly two years. The man’s family says they’ve lived in the home for two years and they don’t know either of the men.
Schnell notes that the state will release inmates to ICE upon completing their sentences. He also points out that many individuals listed in ICE’s “worst of the worst” press releases were handed over by the Department of Corrections.
What we don’t know:
The exact reasons for the discrepancies between federal and state reports on the number of deportable criminals in Minnesota remain unclear.
Read more on FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
