The Department of Homeland Security denied claims by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents unlawfully arrested U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, saying agents may have been responding to people interfering with federal law enforcement.
In a post on X Friday, DHS defended ICE officers and rejected accusations that agents targeted citizens for merely observing enforcement actions, emphasizing that federal officers are authorized to act when operations are obstructed or compromised.
"Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been clear: if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," DHS wrote.
"Obstructing law enforcement is not protesting, it is a crime. Instead of trying to spread misinformation @GovTimWalz should focus on protecting American lives and thanking the brave men and women of DHS law enforcement who are risking their lives to make communities in his state safer."
The response followed a letter Walz — a Democrat and 2024 vice presidential nominee — sent Noem on Wednesday accusing ICE of unlawful conduct and civil rights violations during enforcement activity in Minneapolis.
Walz pointed to two encounters involving U.S. citizens, arguing they demonstrated a pattern of overreach by federal agents.
In one case, Walz described a woman identified as "Sue," whom he said was documenting ICE activity and refused an order to move back from the scene.
According to the governor, she was pushed, handcuffed, transported to a federal facility, and held for several hours on an allegation of obstruction.
In a second incident, Walz cited an individual identified as "Mubashir," whom he said was chased, tackled, handcuffed, and detained despite repeatedly stating that he was a U.S. citizen and offering to show identification.
Walz characterized both incidents as examples of citizens being detained for exercising their rights and called for an internal review of ICE actions, potential disciplinary measures against agents, and a reassessment of DHS's enforcement strategy.
DHS, however, signaled in its X response that the encounters cited by Walz might have involved interference with active law enforcement operations, a situation in which agents are permitted to take action to secure an enforcement scene.
Federal officials have repeatedly warned that approaching, obstructing, or refusing lawful orders during enforcement activity can escalate encounters and place officers and civilians at risk.
DHS has said such situations are often mischaracterized after the fact as passive observation.
"There is a growing and disturbing trend of agitators and rioters obstructing the arrest of illegal aliens and assaulting our brave law enforcement," DHS wrote.
"Our officers are facing a more than 1050% increase in assaults and a 8000% increase in death threats."
The department has also said that ICE agents operate under federal authority and are empowered to detain individuals when necessary to maintain operational security, even if those individuals are later determined to be U.S. citizens.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.