Minnesota Democrat Attorney General Keith Ellison said two of Minneapolis' three homicides in 2026 came "at the hands" of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday, Ellison used his opening statement to attack ICE’s "Operation Metro Surge" on the same day border czar Tom Homan announced the surge was ending.
Ellison said that "2 of the 3 homicides committed in Minneapolis in 2026 have come at the hands of federal immigration agents," directly attacking the Trump administration’s tactics, according to a CSPAN X post on Thursday.
The attorney general was referring to two anti-ICE activists who were fatally shot by ICE officers.
His comment drew immediate fire from GOP lawmakers, underscoring the partisan divide over immigration enforcement.
Republicans argue the surge was necessary to restore public safety and enforce immigration laws in a city with higher violent crime rates and ongoing clashes over federal enforcement powers.
During a fiery exchange posted by CSPAN on X, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., didn't hold back when questioning Ellison about the AG’s role in alleged state fraud allegations.
"You should resign!” Hawley told Ellison, who shot right back by telling the senator, "You should resign — I was thinking the same thing about you."
The heated back-and-forth illustrated just how politicized the debate has become.
Homan on Thursday announced the end of the immigration surge in Minnesota after months of nationwide attention and local upheaval.
"Operation Metro Surge is ending," Homan declared, saying that a significant drawdown was already underway and that coordination with state and local law enforcement had improved.
Federal officials touted more than 4,000 arrests of individuals they characterized as criminal illegal aliens, claiming the mission helped make Minnesota "less of a sanctuary state for criminals."
Critics, including Ellison and local officials, have fiercely opposed the surge since it began, filing lawsuits alleging the deployment violates constitutional protections and violates Minnesota’s sovereignty.
A federal judge recently declined to halt the operation while litigation proceeds.
The surge drew intense protests after high-profile fatal shootings of civilians by federal agents in Minneapolis, which many local leaders and civil rights advocates characterize as excessive use of force.
The deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti during enforcement actions ignited demonstrations and national scrutiny of how ICE and Border Patrol conduct urban operations.
While Republicans broadly support the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, including robust interior enforcement, critics argue the Minnesota operation was heavy-handed and counterproductive.
The explosive Senate hearing this week highlights how immigration enforcement remains one of the most divisive issues in American politics, with federal authority and local autonomy squarely at odds.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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