Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sharply criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, accusing federal officials of spreading misinformation and escalating unrest across the state. The op-ed, published Monday, came as Walz and President Donald Trump held a phone call aimed at easing tensions following two fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis.
Sharing the article on X, Walz said he had spoken directly with Trump and raised concerns that the president’s advisers had mischaracterized Minnesota’s cooperation on immigration enforcement. He described the conversation as constructive, writing, “I spoke to the President earlier. We had a productive conversation and I explained to him that his staff doesn’t have their facts straight about Minnesota. My thoughts in the Wall Street Journal.”
In the op-ed, Walz warned that the administration’s approach was fueling fear and disorder, claiming he had repeatedly urged Trump to calm the situation. “I fear that his hope is for the tension between ICE agents and the communities they’re ransacking to boil over — that he wants you to see more chaos on your TV screens, protests turn into riots, more people get hurt,” Walz wrote. He called on the White House to end what he described as an “unlawful, violent and chaotic campaign” and to pursue immigration policies that are “secure, accountable and humane.”
The comments followed a dramatic shift in tone between the two leaders. On Monday, Trump said Walz initiated their phone call and asked to cooperate. “It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump posted on Truth Social. The statement marked a notable departure from Trump’s earlier attacks on Walz, whom he had accused of encouraging unrest after the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a federal agent over the weekend. After their conversation, Trump said he instructed border czar Tom Homan to contact Walz and confirmed that Homan would be sent to Minnesota as federal authorities intensified efforts to target individuals they consider dangerous criminals.
Walz’s office said Trump agreed to explore scaling back the federal enforcement surge in Minnesota and to work with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure independent investigations into the shootings of Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. According to the governor’s office, Trump also pledged to coordinate more closely with state officials and consider reducing the number of federal agents operating in the region.
In his Wall Street Journal essay, Walz pushed back against claims that Minnesota has failed to cooperate with federal authorities. He wrote that the state’s Department of Corrections routinely alerts Immigration and Customs Enforcement when noncitizens enter state custody and emphasized that “there is not a single documented case” of the department releasing someone without offering to coordinate their transfer.
The federal response to Pretti’s death has drawn growing scrutiny after officials initially claimed he posed a threat — a narrative later contradicted by video. Even conservative figures questioned that account, with former Rep. Trey Gowdy stating, “We certainly should not be labeling him as a domestic terrorist who was going to execute cops.” As investigations continue, both sides now signal a tentative effort to lower tensions and prevent further escalation.
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