On Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened Minnesota with a “day of reckoning and retaliation.” He accused local Democrats of using the shooting of a woman by an ICE officer to divert attention from the scourge of fraud in the state, for which he claims they are responsible.
“Do Minnesotans really want to live in a community where there are thousands of convicted murderers, drug dealers and addicts, rapists, dangerous released and escaped prisoners, dangerous people from foreign mental institutions and other criminals who cannot even be named?” – he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“DO NOT FEAR, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING AND REVENGE IS COMING!” he added, blaming state Democrats for the unrest.
Americans protest against ICE, the White House rails against fraud
Protests have been going on in Minneapolis for several days following the death of Renee Good. Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, are calling on federal authorities to leave the city. The White House maintains that the officer who shot Good acted in self-defense. But even administration allies fear it has gone too far, quickly accusing Good of “domestic terrorism” for allegedly trying to ram an ICE agent with a car.
Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance also weighed in on the matter, trying to focus public attention on a wide-ranging investigation into alleged abuses in the state's nutrition and welfare programs. They pointed to the proceedings that had been going on for years led to more than 90 people in Minnesota being charged with defrauding public funds. The Department of Health and Human Services in December froze hundreds of millions of dollars in child care funding in the state.
The article continues below the video
The day after Good was shot, during a White House press briefing, Vance announced the creation of the new position Assistant Prosecutor General for Fraud Investigation throughout the country. First stop: Minnesota.
“Minnesota Democrats love riots caused by anarchists and professional provocateurs because it distracts from the $19 billion. [ok. 70 mld zł — red.]that were stolen by extremely evil and unscrupulous people,” Trump wrote on Tuesday. “Everywhere we go, crime is down.”
Democrats are going to court. “These are rights written in state and federal law.”
On Monday, the state of Minnesota and the authorities of the neighboring cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul filed a lawsuit demanding that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan to send additional immigration officers to the so-called Twin Cities.
Anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis, January 10, 2026.Mostafa Bassim / Anadolu/ABACAPRESS.COM / PAP
The lawsuit asked a judge to order the immediate removal of immigration agents and argued that Trump's deployment of additional officers violates the US Constitution.
“Freedom from unlawful detention, excessive violence and repression is not a list of aspirations that Minnesotans deserve; it is a right enshrined in state and federal law,” the letter says. On Monday, the state of Illinois filed a similar lawsuit. In both cases, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, which protects states' sovereignty, was invoked.
A woman is detained by immigration officers. Minneapolis, January 13, 2026PAP/EPA/OLGA FEDOROVA
Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokeswoman, criticized that argument. “It's truly amazing that the left can miraculously rediscover the Tenth Amendment when it doesn't want federal officials to enforce federal law — which is a clear federal duty under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy Clause — and then, when it returns to power, immediately federalizes every possible state duty. Give us a break,” she wrote.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
