In a direct challenge to the Trump administration, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) invited the president on Tuesday to visit the state.
Walz posted a statement on X, inviting President Donald Trump to see Minnesotans’ “values in action” rather than escalating what he dubbed “political theater.”
The invitation comes as the Department of Justice served subpoenas to Walz and other state officials, investigating alleged interference with immigration law enforcement.
Walz called the investigation a “partisan distraction” in his statement.
“Minnesotans are more concerned with safety and peace rather than with baseless legal tactics aimed at intimidating public servants standing shoulder to shoulder with their community,” Walz said.
He went on to say the federal government’s energy is misdirected and should focus on restoring trust, accountability, and “real law and order, not political retaliation.”
Walz released his statement as Trump spoke to the press and recapped his presidency, one year after his inauguration.
Trump began his address by holding up the mugshots of illegal immigrants who had been convicted of crimes such as murder and assault to underscore the success of Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments.
The friction between Walz and Washington follows weeks of unrest sparked by ICE officer Jonathan Ross’s fatal shooting of Renee Good earlier this month after she struck him with her SUV.
Tensions reached a new flashpoint Jan. 18 when anti-ICE protesters from the Racial Justice Network stormed a Sunday morning service at Cities Church in St. Paul. Attorney General Pam Bondi has since launched an investigation into the possible civil rights violations.
Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have both demanded the withdrawal of agents, with Walz describing the presence as an “occupation” and a “campaign of organized brutality.”
The situation intensified when Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to restore order, and accused “corrupt politicians” of failing to stop “professional agitators.”
The massive federal presence in Minnesota is part of “Operation Metro Surge,” which the Department of Homeland Security has described as the “largest immigration operation ever.”
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Trump and DHS have linked the crackdown to the Feeding Our Future scandal, using it as a rationale to send agents into the community.
Walz has urged Trump to focus on accountability for the killing of Good rather than “weaponizing power” against local leaders.