Republican gubernatorial candidate and Minnesota state Rep. Kristen Robbins, appearing on Newsmax, sharply criticized Gov. Tim Walz's handling of federal immigration enforcement in the North Star State, accusing him of undermining law enforcement cooperation and sanctuary policies that she says have empowered criminals and fueled unrest.
Robbins spoke Friday on "Wake Up America" about the ongoing controversy surrounding federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis and greater Minnesota.
Her comments come amid nationwide attention on Operation Metro Surge, the largest ICE enforcement effort in state history, which has triggered protests after the fatal shooting of a local woman by an ICE agent and escalating tension between federal authorities and state officials.
Robbins criticized Walz for what she called a refusal to "cooperate with ICE," arguing that the governor's support for sanctuary policies has forced federal agents to conduct enforcement actions in neighborhoods rather than at secure facilities such as courthouses and jails.
"If they would just cooperate … so this could be done peacefully and quietly at the courthouses, our neighborhoods wouldn't be up in arms," Robbins said.
She called on Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to tone down their rhetoric and work with federal law enforcement, saying Minnesotans want "rule of law" and safer communities.
In recent weeks, Walz has publicly rebuked the ICE surge, alleging that federal agents' tactics have endangered both residents and local law enforcement and raised civil rights concerns.
He and city leaders have argued that the operation, intensified following the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, has created fear and instability in communities while failing to focus on public safety.
Walz has urged peaceful protest and has pressed federal authorities to allow state investigators to participate in reviews of ICE operations.
Robbins also invoked national political context, arguing that the controversy plays into broader discontent with state leadership. "People in our community strongly support law enforcement," she said.
"They want rule of law. But instead of supporting rule of law, Tim Walz is undermining it," added Robbins, claiming broad support for conservative approaches outside the Twin Cities' urban core.
Her remarks echo earlier Republican commentary that Minnesota's sanctuary policies have hampered ICE's ability to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Federal officials have argued that local noncooperation forced ICE agents into more visible operations, a point echoed by Department of Homeland Security leadership defending the surge.
The ongoing debate has also resulted in legal action: Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have filed a lawsuit against the federal government, challenging the constitutionality of the scale and methods of the federal immigration enforcement surge.
Simultaneously, civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, have launched lawsuits alleging racial profiling and unlawful arrests by ICE in the Twin Cities area.
In her interview, Robbins also highlighted her role as chair of the Minnesota Fraud and State Agency Oversight Committee, addressing what she described as widespread government fraud in programs such as Medicaid, child care and nonemergency transportation.
She said her committee is working to expose cases and refer them to law enforcement, noting a "staggering" scope of alleged malfeasance.
Robbins dismissed the idea that fraud oversight is a partisan issue, urging accountability from the Walz administration while acknowledging limits on legislative authority to enforce executive branch actions.
She said continued hearings and potential prosecutions are critical to restoring trust in state government and fiscal responsibility.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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