FOX 9 finds DHS ICE detainer numbers wildly inflated
FOX 9’s review of jail and prison data blows a hole in the Trump administration’s line that Minnesota is sitting on 1,360 'deportable criminals' with ICE detainers, a number DHS has been waving around to justify keeping a federal army on the ground here. Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell says DOC has been honoring detainers and estimates there are only about 100 people with ICE holds across all 87 counties, while FOX 9’s check of the five biggest counties turned up just 36 detainers and roughly 300 non‑citizens in custody total — nowhere near 1,360. Ramsey County didn’t cough up numbers, but nothing in the local data comes close to backing the federal claim, and DHS has refused to produce any evidence for its figure even after repeated requests. Border czar Tom Homan is still insisting that building a 'reliable pipeline' from county jails to ICE is key to pulling agents out of Minnesota, but this investigation shows the pipeline he’s describing is mostly smoke. For Twin Cities residents watching ICE batter down doors and shoot people on our streets, this isn’t a minor accounting error — it’s one more sign the surge is being sold with cooked numbers, not facts.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS and Homeland Security officials claim there are more than 1,360 people in Minnesota jails and prisons with ICE detainers, labeled as 'deportable criminals.'
- FOX 9’s survey of the five largest counties found only 36 ICE detainers, and Commissioner Paul Schnell estimates roughly 100 detainers statewide and about 300 non‑citizens in custody overall.
- DOC says state prisons have been transferring people to ICE, as video of convicted murderer Jaime Tirado‑Hernandez being turned over shows, undermining claims that Minnesota is refusing to honor detainers.
- Despite repeated requests, DHS has provided zero hard data to support its 1,360 figure, while continuing to cite that number to argue for keeping a heavy ICE presence in Minnesota.
📊 Relevant Data
As of 2023, foreign-born workers make up almost 11% of Minnesota's workforce, contributing significantly to labor force growth, with nearly 60% of the state's total labor force and employment growth from 2019 to 2023 coming from foreign-born workers.
The Growth and Impact of Minnesota's Foreign-Born Workforce — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Somali immigrants in Minnesota, when compared apples-to-apples by age and gender (males aged 18-29), have a two- to fivefold higher incarceration rate than natives, with Somali males having an incarceration rate of about 1.5% compared to 0.3% for natives in that demographic.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
Somalis have been migrating to Minnesota since the 1990s, primarily as refugees fleeing civil war and instability in Somalia, with the community now estimated at around 80,000 to 100,000 people, representing about 1.4% to 1.8% of Minnesota's population.
5 things to know about the Somali community in Minnesota after Trump’s attacks — PBS NewsHour
Venezuelan migrants to the United States, including those in Minnesota, are driven by high homicide rates in Venezuela (56 per 100,000) compared to the U.S. rate of 5 per 100,000, along with political and economic crises.
Immigration and Violent Crime — Brown University
Studies show that immigrants in the United States do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born Americans, with some research indicating lower rates among immigrants.
Trump says migrants are fueling violent crime. Here is what the research shows — Reuters
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time