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When Minnesota Governor Tim Walz dismissed the federal fraud-and-immigration crackdown as “buffoonery,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons didn’t take the jab lying down. Lyons went on Fox & Friends on January 7, 2026, to defend what he calls a necessary enforcement action tied to a growing welfare fraud scandal that has stripped taxpayers blind. For patriotic Americans who believe in the rule of law, Lyons’ blunt response was exactly what the moment demanded.
This operation, which Lyons described as the largest immigration enforcement action ever staged in Minneapolis, has already produced arrests of violent offenders and convicted criminals who were hiding behind paperwork and sanctuary policies. Federal agents have reported taking into custody individuals wanted for murder and sexual assault, and officials say the surge is focused on fraud rings, employer violators and those with outstanding removal orders. Local residents weary of crime and taxpayers sick of fraud have watched federal authorities finally start to clean house.
Governor Walz’s response was predictably political, calling the surge a stunt and refusing to acknowledge that years of lax oversight and sanctuary-like policies invited this problem. That very scandal helped push Walz to drop his reelection bid on January 5, 2026, leaving Minnesota Democrats scrambling for answers and a defense. Instead of playing politics, Minnesotans deserve leaders who will protect taxpayers and the rule of law, not flinch when federal agents show up to do their jobs.
Lyons pushed back hard on the notion that federal law enforcement is merely grandstanding, arguing that state policies that shield illegal conduct create a magnet for fraud and criminality. He made clear ICE and DHS investigators are acting on intelligence and arrest warrants, going door-to-door where violations are suspected and working to dismantle networks exploiting federal benefit systems. Conservatives should applaud an administration that finally puts enforcement before excuses and prioritizes American safety and fiscal responsibility.
The controversy even reached corporate America when a franchised Hilton property in the Twin Cities allegedly canceled reservations for DHS and ICE agents, prompting Hilton to remove the hotel from its system and distance itself from the decision. This is the kind of woke defiance that undermines public safety and aids lawbreakers by turning a blind eye to enforcement needs. Corporations must realize their social posturing has consequences when it interferes with law enforcement’s ability to protect citizens and recover stolen taxpayer funds.
At bottom, this episode exposes a choice: stand with hardworking Americans demanding accountability and border integrity, or side with politicians and businesses who put ideology ahead of safety. Lyons and other federal leaders are doing the hard, unpopular work of restoring order and defending the public fisc; they deserve support, not sneers. If Minnesota’s leaders won’t lead, the federal government must continue to step in and finish the job for the sake of taxpayers, families, and the rule of law.
