Records show many ICE 'worst of worst' in MN haven’t been in jail for years
A FOX 9 review of court records for nearly three dozen people ICE labeled as the “worst of the worst” found one‑third have no Minnesota criminal record, only four had been in a Minnesota jail in the past year, and many hadn’t been jailed in Minnesota for years — with evidence DHS sometimes mixed up or misattributed records. The reporting also notes Minnesota’s DOC says it routinely notifies and transfers non‑citizen inmates to ICE, and highlights specific misrepresentations (e.g., the Cottonwood County case and the St. Paul raid) that undercut federal claims and the department’s larger counts of recent local releases.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem framed Operation Metro Surge as necessary because Gov. Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Frey “refuse to cooperate,” but Minnesota official Schnell flatly disputed that, saying, “It’s untrue. We cooperate.”
- DHS released headline counts — including 470 'released' deportable offenders and 1,360 deportable violent criminals in Minnesota custody — that conflict sharply with state records: the Department of Corrections and county jails show roughly 200 non‑citizens in prison, fewer than 100 in county jails, and 84 coordinated releases in 2025.
- A Cottonwood County case Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino presented as a Minneapolis release was mischaracterized: the county sheriff says his jail called ICE when a 20‑year‑old was bonding out but ICE told them it was too busy to respond, undermining the federal narrative that local jails refuse to hold people for ICE.
- An ICE St. Paul battering‑ram raid involved an American citizen dragged from his home half‑dressed in subzero temperatures; ICE later posted a 'wanted' flyer listing one suspect who’d been in prison for nearly two years and another person unfamiliar to the family, highlighting errors in federal reporting and identification.
- Minnesota DOC says it routinely notifies ICE about non‑citizen inmates, releases people directly to ICE when sentences end, and honors ICE detainers; a DOC spokesperson accused federal officials of fundamentally misunderstanding Minnesota’s system, being incompetent, or engaging in propaganda.
- FOX 9 reviewed court records for nearly three dozen people ICE labeled 'worst of the worst' and found about one‑third have no Minnesota criminal record at all, and FOX 9 also found instances where DHS appears to have mixed up or misattributed criminal histories in its press examples.
- Only four of the reviewed detainees had been in a Minnesota jail in the past year; many last saw county jails or DOC facilities years ago — for example, Hoyvanh Khounmixay, cited by DHS for child sex abuse and failure to register, has those convictions on record but his last Minnesota jail time was a 20‑day stay in Mower County in 2015.
📊 Relevant Data
Immigrants in the United States, including undocumented immigrants, are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born individuals, with studies showing lower arrest and incarceration rates for immigrants compared to natives from 2010 to 2023.
Debunking the Myth of Immigrants and Crime — American Immigration Council
In Texas, undocumented immigrants had a criminal conviction rate 45% below that of native-born Americans between 2012 and 2018, with legal immigrants having rates 65% below natives.
The incarceration rate for illegal immigrants nationwide was 612 per 100,000 in 2023, compared to higher rates for native-born citizens, though there was an increase from 538 per 100,000 in 2022.
Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2023 — Cato Institute
Somali immigration to Minnesota began in the early 1990s as refugees fleeing civil war in Somalia, facilitated by U.S. refugee resettlement programs, with many initially placed in the state due to available jobs, affordable housing, and strong social services, leading to chain migration.
How Minnesota became the center of the Somali diaspora — Sahan Journal
Sanctuary policies in cities like Minneapolis encourage immigrant communities to report crimes and cooperate with police, potentially improving public safety, with no evidence that they increase crime rates.
What's the impact of changing immigration enforcement in Minneapolis? — NPR
As of January 1, 2025, Minnesota's adult prison population included approximately 200 non-citizen inmates out of a total of about 8,000, representing roughly 2.5% of the prison population, while non-citizens make up about 8% of the state's overall population.
Adult Prison Population Summary — Minnesota Department of Corrections
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- FOX 9 reviewed Minnesota court records for nearly three dozen people ICE labeled 'worst of the worst' under Operation Metro Surge and found one‑third have no Minnesota criminal record at all.
- Only four of those detainees had been in a Minnesota jail in the past year; many others last saw a county jail or DOC facility years ago, contradicting DHS claims agents are mainly grabbing people "just cut loose" by local jails.
- An example case, Hoyvanh Khounmixay, is cited by DHS for child sex abuse and failing to register; records confirm the convictions but show his last Minnesota jail time was a 20‑day Mower County stint in 2015.
- DOC reiterates it is required to notify ICE of all non‑citizen prison inmates and honors all ICE detainers, and a DOC spokesperson says federal officials either fundamentally misunderstand Minnesota’s system, are incompetent, or are deliberately engaging in propaganda.
- FOX 9 found DHS appears to have mixed up criminal histories in at least some 'worst of the worst' press examples, attributing serious offenses to detainees who do not have those Minnesota records.
- Spells out DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s talking point that Operation Metro Surge exists because Walz and Frey 'refuse to cooperate,' then contrasts it with Schnell flatly saying, 'It’s untrue. We cooperate.'
- Puts DHS’s headline claims—470 'released' deportable offenders and 1,360 deportable violent criminals in Minnesota custody—directly against DOC and jail counts of about 200 non‑citizens in prison and fewer than 100 in county jails, and 84 2025 releases with coordination, exposing the gulf.
- Details the Cottonwood County case Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino misrepresented as a Minneapolis release: the sheriff says his jail called ICE as soon as they knew the 20‑year‑old was bonding out, but ICE said it was too busy to come—blowing a hole in DHS’s narrative that locals won’t hold people.
- Re‑highlights the St. Paul battering‑ram raid and the American citizen yanked out of his house half‑dressed in subzero cold, and points out ICE later posted a 'wanted' flyer with one suspect who’s been in prison for nearly two years and another the current family has never heard of, underscoring federal sloppiness.
- Clarifies that DOC routinely releases people directly to ICE when sentences end and that many of the very 'worst of the worst' offenders Noem is waving around came straight from DOC handoffs, not from jails sneaking people out the back door.