During her press conference at the Whipple Building in Minneapolis on Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem encouraged sheriffs, local governments and small towns to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents because Gov. Tim Walz will not. 

Noem addressed the room behind a table piled with zip-tied firearms and several plastic bags of methamphetamine, said to be seized from operations conducted by the agencies. Alongside her stood two signs: both mugshots of men, which read “Arrested: Mexican Child Sexual Assault,” and another read “Arrested: Salvadorian Human Trafficker.” 

Outside of the building, almost a thousand protestors gathered to chant and deliver speeches. After the conference concluded at around 5:30 p.m., most protesters left with a few remaining for follow-on protests.

Drew Harmon, with the group MN50501, said he has a personal grudge against Noem because of how she leads ICE agents and security in the country. 

“Kristi Noem is the mouthpiece in the face of that movement right now,” Harmon said. “She is not just perpetuating it. She’s also enabling it by being a ‘yes’ woman for Donald Trump.”

He added that people will be ready if the National Guard, alongside ICE agents, sets foot in Minneapolis. 

“They have it out for Minnesota. They have it out for the Twin Cities,” Harmon said. 

In her address, Noem thanked local leaders such as Sam Westbay with Homeland Security Investigations in St. Paul and Regional Enforcement Removal Operations director David Easterwood for their work deporting immigrants in Minnesota. 

Noem said in her address that Mayor Jacob Frey has allowed more criminals to “get away” with their crimes. She added that violence against police officers has increased by “1000%” due to them being “demonized” by leaders in Washington, D.C. 

“If you get the chance today, thank someone who defends our laws,” Noem said. 

Noem mentioned Operation Twin Shield, an operation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which worked specifically with visa fraud, which she said has been “rampant in these cities.” 

“The fraud operation that has gone out and investigated those who maybe came into this country under wrong paperwork or overstayed and refused to leave, and they utilized fraud to do so,” Noem said. 

Noem added that dozens of agents will be coming to field offices in the region. There are USCIS field offices in both Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“If you’re here illegally, go home,” Noem said in her address. 

She added that around 1.6 million have supposedly self-deported or been detained, then deported. If people choose to leave, Noem said the federal government will give them $1000 to buy their plane ticket to return to their home country. 

“Those who break the law face the consequences of that and get removed from the country,” Noem said. 

Numerous Minneapolis city leaders reaffirmed their stance on the city’s values and separation ordinance, which prohibits all city employees, such as police and firefighters, from participating in ICE activities. 

Frey said in a press release that he will continue to support the city’s ongoing commitments to keep neighborhoods safe, ensuring residents are informed about their rights and supporting immigrants within the city. 

“Minneapolis doesn’t flinch when it comes to our values,” said Frey in the statement. “We stand with our immigrant neighbors — not just in words, but in the laws we’ve passed, the policies we enforce, and the way we show up for each other every day.”

In a video standing alongside city leaders, Frey explained that under the separation ordinance, people can access city programs and emergency services regardless of immigration status. 

“Immigration raids don’t make us safer. It makes people afraid to call for help. It keeps families from reporting crimes, working with trusted law enforcement, and seeking support,” Frey said in the video. “That’s not safety. That’s fear. ” 

Council Member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) said in an email statement that many “still recall the trauma” of Walz’s deployment of the National Guard in 2020 due to riots following the murder of George Floyd. 

“Seeing troops in our streets again would reopen deep wounds, but Minneapolis’s working-class communities have always cared for one another in the face of state violence,” Wonsley said in the statement. “Immigrants are our friends, neighbors, and coworkers—and we will organize to protect them and all who are vulnerable.” 

Mayor candidate and Sen. Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) said in an email statement that Noem was here to encourage ICE agents’ operations and that the White House “has its sights set on Minneapolis.” He added that this is because the city stands by people’s rights and democracy. 

“If Trump tries to send troops here, and re-traumatizes our residents who lived through 2020, they’re going to have to go through us first,” Fateh said in the statement.