By Ginika Igboke
Vice President JD Vance will travel to Minneapolis on Thursday as tensions remain high between federal authorities and local and state officials amid sweeping fraud investigations and stepped-up immigration enforcement operations.
During the visit, Vance is scheduled to hold a roundtable with local leaders and community members and deliver remarks “focused on restoring law and order in Minnesota,” his office announced Wednesday.
The trip comes as the U.S. Justice Department began issuing subpoenas Tuesday to top Minnesota officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, whose office confirmed receipt. Gov. Tim Walz did not confirm whether he received a subpoena but dismissed the investigation as a “partisan distraction” in a post on X. The subpoenas follow the Justice Department’s recent launch of an investigation into Walz and Frey over alleged obstruction of federal immigration enforcement.
At the same time, the Department of Health and Human Services is continuing audits and investigations into several day care, child care, and social service programs that receive federal funds, after alleged widespread fraud was uncovered. Much of the suspected fraud is tied to programs serving members of the state’s Somali community.
The findings prompted an all-of-government response from the Trump administration, including calls for the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate potential immigration violations linked to the cases.
Walz and Frey have responded to the federal immigration operations by encouraging peaceful protests, particularly after the Jan. 7 shooting death of activist Renee Good by an ICE officer. Video footage showed Good driving toward the officer before she was shot. Her death sparked large demonstrations, with tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets and hundreds of police officers deployed across Minneapolis.
On Wednesday, Walz sharply criticized the federal enforcement efforts.
“This is not a serious operation to enforce immigration law,” Walz wrote on X. “It’s a performative show of force and it’s gotten way out of hand.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said arrests are expected following an incident in which anti-ICE demonstrators stormed a church service in St. Paul on Jan. 18. The protest was livestreamed by former CNN reporter turned social media personality Don Lemon.
“The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly—not rioting,” Noem said in a post on X. “This administration is committed to upholding federal law and defending the rights of all Americans. These agitators will be held accountable.”
Justice Department officials said the incident may have violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, which prohibits the use of force, threats, or physical obstruction against individuals exercising their First Amendment right to religious freedom at places of worship.
According to DHS, more than 10,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Minnesota over the past year.
Beyond immigration enforcement, the Trump administration has also opened investigations into alleged Small Business Administration loan fraud, Department of Housing and Urban Development housing loan violations, Medicaid fraud, and misuse of federal food program funds.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has additionally announced the formation of a task force to investigate potential fraud and abuse tied to pandemic-era tax incentives.
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