Former Acting ICE Director to Newsmax: Minnesota Lawsuit 'Nonsense'

Ron Vitiello, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on Tuesday sharply criticized a lawsuit filed by Minnesota officials seeking to block federal immigration enforcement.

He called the effort "pure nonsense" and accused state and city leaders of openly opposing deportations regardless of public safety concerns.

Minnesota officials filed suit this week seeking to block ICE operations, arguing that federal agents have overstepped their authority and violated civil rights.

Vitiello dismissed those claims, predicting that even if a lower court temporarily intervenes, higher courts will ultimately reject the challenge.

Vitiello said on Newsmax's "National Report" that the lawsuit against the Trump administration reflects long-standing resistance by Minneapolis and Minnesota leaders to any ICE presence, rather than a legitimate legal dispute.

Vitiello said statements already made by Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, undermine the state's claims.

"They've all went on the public record saying that they didn't want immigration enforcement done in any city or town in the United States," Vitiello said. "They are proving to the rest of the country what we already knew, which was they don't want anybody in the United States that's here illegally to be deported."

"They may get a liberal judge in the district nearby to put a restraining order or stop activity for a minute, but that will quickly get reversed by either the district or the Supreme Court," he said, calling the lawsuit "posturing at its best."

Vitiello also rejected arguments by Frey and other Democrat leaders that ICE should focus enforcement efforts in Republican-led states rather than Minnesota. He cited Florida as an example of why federal agents may have a lower profile in some states.

"The entire state is a partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement," Vitiello said, referring to Florida's participation in the 287(g) program, which allows trained state and local officers to carry out certain immigration enforcement functions under federal supervision.

"We're not in Miami because we don't need to be in Miami because the state is cooperating fully with U.S. immigration authorities," Vitiello said.

By contrast, he said Minneapolis has chosen a "sanctuary city" approach that limits cooperation with ICE, forcing federal agents to conduct their own operations rather than receiving detainees directly from local jails.

Vitiello also responded forcefully to remarks by Ellison, who accused ICE agents of being "poorly trained, aggressive and armed" and of targeting people based on race, accent, or appearance.

Vitiello said such rhetoric endangers officers and misrepresents their mission.

"The continued rhetoric puts the entire community at risk," he said. "He's trying to make this something about race."

Vitiello said ICE officers swear an oath to uphold the Constitution and respect lawful protest, but warned that physical interference with enforcement operations crosses a legal line.

"When you put hands on an officer or an agent, or you disobey orders that are lawful and given in a legal way, you've broken the law," he said, adding that the Department of Justice has committed to prosecuting those cases.

Vitiello previously served as chief of the U.S. Border Patrol and as acting ICE director. He is now a senior adviser to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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