A dispute between Minnesota’s top Democrats and federal immigration officials is escalating, with Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calling on Washington to reimburse the state and city for costs they say were triggered by a surge in enforcement activity.
According to Fox News, Walz said the federal government should “pay for what they broke,” arguing Minnesota residents were left with “incredible and immense costs” tied to the operations.
“The federal government needs to be responsible. You don’t get to break things and then just leave without doing something about it,” Walz said, adding he plans to work with the state’s congressional delegation to pursue reimbursement.
Frey echoed that message, estimating financial impacts on Minneapolis could exceed $203 million. He told Minnesota Public Radio the losses include $47 million in wages from residents “afraid to leave home” for work, $81 million in small-business revenue declines, and $4.7 million in hotel cancellations.
“I’m not naive to think that we’re going to get the entire amount,” Frey said, noting tens of thousands of residents may need relief.
Federal officials pushed back on the claims.
Border czar Tom Homan said on television that “a lot of things were broken, but it wasn’t because of [the] administration,” and questioned whether Walz had previously criticized border conditions.
The clash comes as Minnesota leaders face scrutiny over alleged large-scale fraud in state social service programs involving Somali immigrants. Reports have estimated losses as high as $18 billion, with some testimony suggesting the total impact could be higher when additional programs are included.
Some of the defrauded programs receive federal funding, meaning taxpayers nationwide contributed to the pool of money that was stolen.
Critics have seized on the issue to challenge Walz’s leadership, while the governor has announced he will not seek a third term.
