The U.S. Holocaust Museum has expressed disapproval of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for likening the state’s immigration enforcement to the Nazi persecution of Jews.
This past Monday, the museum criticized Walz (D-Minn.) along with other officials for allegedly politicizing the story of Anne Frank in their comments regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
During a recent press briefing, Walz noted that immigrant children are hiding from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, drawing parallels to how Jews concealed themselves during World War II.
“There are children in Minnesota who are hiding inside their homes because they are afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading the story of Anne Frank,” he stated. “Someone is going to write a children’s story about Minnesota.”
The Holocaust Museum responded sharply to Walz on social media.
“Anne Frank was targeted and murdered simply because she was Jewish. It is never acceptable for leaders to falsely equate her experience for political purposes,” they wrote.
“Amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis and the rise of anti-Semitism, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive,” the message continued.
The museum reiterated that, regardless of the unrest in Minneapolis, using the Holocaust for political leverage is inappropriate.
As of now, Governor Walz has not issued an apology for his statements.
Tuesday marked the 20th Annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day dedicated to reflecting on the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp, in 1945 and honoring the six million Jewish victims along with millions of others who suffered under the Nazi regime.
