Holocaust Museum Criticizes Governor’s Comments on Immigration
The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., has expressed disapproval of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s comparison of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities to those of Nazi Germany.
In a post on X, the museum highlighted that Anne Frank was “targeted and murdered simply because she was Jewish.” This comment followed Walz’s recent news conference where he urged President Donald Trump to withdraw ICE and Border Patrol agents from Minnesota.
During the press conference, Walz said, “Let’s get our kids back to school. Children in Minnesota are hiding inside, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that Anne Frank story. Someone will write a children’s story about Minnesota.”
The museum responded, stating, “Anne Frank was targeted and murdered simply because she was Jewish. It is never acceptable for a leader to falsely equate her experience for political purposes. Exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as anti-Semitism is on the rise.”
Walz’s remarks, which mentioned Anne Frank, came after a shooting incident involving Border Patrol agents that resulted in the death of Alex Preti, 37, on Saturday.
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents were performing a targeted operation in Minneapolis at the time, targeting an illegal alien suspected of violent assault.
The shooting incident also involved Renee Good, 37, who was shot by ICE agents after allegedly “using a vehicle as a weapon” against them.
The DHS statement noted that agents were focused on an undocumented immigrant involved in a violent assault in Minneapolis. During this operation, a man approached a U.S. Border Patrol agent brandishing a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
Rabbi Yehuda Kaprun, who works against anti-Semitism at the State Department, criticized Walz’s analogy. He remarked on social media that Anne Frank’s story is unrelated to illegal immigration and the situation in Minnesota. “Such ignorance cheapens the horrors of the Holocaust,” Kaprun said. “Anne Frank was legally in Amsterdam and obeying Dutch laws. She was taken to an extermination camp because of her race and religion.”
