Federal immigration agents are "surging" into Minnesota, officials said, amid a deepening fraud scandal that's enveloped state and national politics.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyonsdescribed the deployment in an interview on Newsmaxas "the largest immigration operation ever." He did not say how many agents the deployment would involve or how long it was expected to last.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told USA TODAY the agency does not "get into law enforcement footprint" for the safety of officers.
The development comes asHilton said it severed ties with a hotel franchise in Minneapolisthat had allegedly canceled the reservations of ICE agents working in the area. The company apologized and said it would contact all of its franchises nationwide to "reinforce the standards we hold them to" and "help ensure this does not happen again."
More:Homeland Security blasts Hilton Hotels over canceled ICE reservation
Immigration agents have been operating in Minneapolis for several weeks as pressure ramps up amid the fraud scandal that's led to federal probes and political shakeups. According to McLaughlin, agents have made more than 1,000 arrests since first deploying resources to Minnesota.
On Monday, Dec. 5,Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzannounced he plans to end his reelection bid, saying the election would distract him from "defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity."
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Since 2022, the Justice Department has charged more than 80 people, many of them U.S. citizens of Somali descent, in connection with fraud schemes targeting government-funded programs, including child nutrition and housing initiatives. At least 60 suspects have been convicted in multiple fraud cases in the state.
In recent weeks, PresidentDonald Trumphas seized on the scandal, calling outWalzand targeting the Somali population, at one point calling them "garbage" and telling reporters, "I don't want them in my country."
In December, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security both announced a surge of federal agents tasked with tracking down fraudsters. Other federal agencies have also taken action, including theSmall Business Administrationand theDepartment of Health and Human Services, freezing thousands of business loans and childcare payments.
The Twin Cities region is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with about 84,000 residents living in the area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The majority of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens who were either born in the country or became citizens through the naturalization process.
Christopher Cann is a national breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him via email at ccann@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Federal immigration agents flood into Minnesota amid fraud scandal
