The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has accused Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz of equating federal immigration agents with the secret police of Nazi Germany.
Waltz made his remarks during an opening speech at the University of Minnesota Law School on Saturday, labeling the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) agents as Donald Trump’s “modern Gestapo.” He criticized the treatment of individuals who seem to disappear without due process. In response, DHS called the governor’s comments “absolutely sick of it” and strongly disagreed with his statement.
“I’m absolutely sick of comparing the Gestapo with the ICE law enforcement,” DHS stated. “The attacks on ICE and our partners are wrong.” They also mentioned a significant increase in assaults against ICE personnel, which reportedly rose by 413%.
“Our message is clear: do not come to this country illegally,” the department asserted, adding that violators would face arrest and deportation.
Waltz’s office has not yet responded to inquiries for clarification from the media.
In his address, the Democratic governor accused immigration agents of acting as nefarious forces under Trump’s orders, referencing a mega prison facility in El Salvador. “Donald Trump’s modern Gestapo is scooping people up on the streets,” he claimed, mentioning unmarked vans and masked agents, suggesting individuals are taken to “foreign torture dungeons” without the chance to defend themselves or say goodbye to family.
He acknowledged the uncertainty regarding the criminality of those being apprehended, stating, “We’re supposed to accept their words.”
Waltz, who was Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election, did not win the vice presidency amid a national discourse on illegal immigration. As the Governor of Minnesota, he has taken a liberal stance on immigration policies. He embraced sanctuary measures during his 2018 campaign, authorized a state bill to facilitate driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, and backed legislation offering medical care and free tuition to them.
Since his vice presidential aspirations fell short and he returned to Minnesota, he has become a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.
Under Trump’s leadership, significant strides were made in curtailing illegal immigration and reinforcing enforcement at the border, with reported drops in encounters and arrests. A White House fact sheet noted that encounters at the border fell 93%, with the lowest number of recorded encounters in March 2025—less than 7,200.
In the early days of the Trump administration, immigration agents apprehended over 151,000 undocumented individuals and deported more than 135,000, including members of violent gangs.
