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Immigration and Customs Enforcement publicly criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey after federal agents arrested an illegal immigrant sex offender in Minneapolis following a targeted enforcement operation.
ICE said the arrest involved Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, who authorities identified as a Somali national unlawfully present in the United States, Fox News reported.
According to ICE, Yusuf was convicted in 2016 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct after forcing a victim to perform oral sex on multiple occasions.
The agency said Yusuf had remained at large in Minneapolis for years despite his conviction and immigration status.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported that ICE agents had previously attempted to arrest Yusuf at his residence but were unable to do so after a building manager denied them access to the apartment.
ICE said those failed attempts forced agents to conduct a more complex, targeted operation to take Yusuf into custody.
Following the arrest, ICE issued a statement directly blaming Minnesota’s sanctuary policies for the delay.
“Thanks to the sanctuary policies of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, this dangerous criminal was free to prowl the streets and victimize Minneapolis residents for years,” the agency said.
ICE said in a post on X, “This is who Governor Walz and Mayor Frey defend.”
The arrest comes as immigration enforcement in Minnesota has drawn heightened attention following recent ICE activity in the state.
Walz and Frey have repeatedly defended sanctuary-style policies, arguing that limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities helps build trust between local law enforcement and immigrant communities.
Both officials have said such policies are designed to encourage crime reporting and cooperation without fear of immigration consequences.
ICE has countered that such policies can impede enforcement actions against individuals with serious criminal records.
The agency has repeatedly stated that its primary mission is to target illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, including sexual assault, homicide, and gang-related offenses.
ICE officials say enforcement actions like the arrest of Yusuf demonstrate the challenges agents face when access to suspects is restricted.
The Department of Homeland Security has not announced whether additional enforcement actions are planned in Minneapolis, but ICE said it will continue operations focused on individuals it considers threats to public safety.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers launched a targeted enforcement operation in Minnesota, Dec. 31, to locate and apprehend Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, a criminal illegal alien and convicted sex offender from Somalia. Thanks to the sanctuary policies of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, this dangerous criminal was free to prowl the streets and victimize Minneapolis residents for years,” ICE said in a press release.
“Yusuf committed a series of horrific crimes, including a conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the first degree where he forced his victim to perform oral sex on him multiple times. He was also arrested in 2016 for assault in the first degree and has an active warrant from 2024 for obstructing police,” it said.
“He originally entered the United States in 1996 and was a lawful permanent resident. However, he threw away his shot at the American dream by repaying our country’s generosity with these vicious crimes,” the press release said.
“ICE HSI arrested Yusuf at his Lake Street apartment. They had previously attempted to make this arrest, but the apartment manager obstructed federal law enforcement agents by preventing them from entering the building and actively protected this known, convicted sex offender. This time, ICE was successful,” it said.
“Local sanctuary policies and continued misinformation about what ICE operations actually entail continue to fuel these irresponsible, dangerous acts of obstructing law enforcement,” HSI Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito said. “Every time local jurisdictions refuse to cooperate with ICE, and every time activists use their ridiculous whistles and bullhorns to alert criminal aliens, they are helping violent offenders, including convicted sex predators like this one, escape justice.”
