ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Minnesota officials to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to operate freely, warning that the state would face more severe consequences if it is not cleared of undocumented immigrants.

“Let our ICE patriots do their job! 12,000 illegal alien criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. He warned that those still in the state would create “something far worse than you are witnessing today.”

Trump’s comments came hours after a US Border Patrol officer shot and killed an armed individual wanted for “violent assault” during a targeted operation in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara identified the man as a 37-year-old white American citizen with only traffic violations on record. Authorities said he was believed to be a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.

Trump said federal agents were deployed to Minnesota because of what he described as “massive monetary fraud, with billions of dollars missing” under Democratic border policies.

He questioned why local police failed to protect federal officers and accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of “inciting insurrection” through their public statements. Trump described the unfolding events as a “cover-up” for what he alleged were stolen public funds.

Vance, Bondi blame Minnesota officials

US Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Pam Bondi also placed blame on Minnesota’s leadership for the fatal shooting, saying state and city officials refused to cooperate with federal authorities.

“When I visited Minnesota, what the ICE agents wanted more than anything was to work with local law enforcement so that situations on the ground didn’t get out of hand,” Vance said. He added that Minneapolis leadership “has so far refused to answer those requests.”

Bondi told Fox News that the Justice Department sent Gov. Walz “a very strong letter” demanding that he “better support President Trump.”

She claimed the shooting occurred because Minneapolis officials had declared the city a sanctuary jurisdiction, alleging that undocumented immigrants were drawn there for protection.

Tensions have escalated in Minnesota amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, following allegations of large-scale fraud linked to publicly subsidized day care centers. State and local officials have denied the claims.

The situation further deteriorated after the ICE-related operation resulted in the fatal shooting of an American citizen.

Earlier this week, Trump defended aggressive enforcement tactics by immigration agents, acknowledging that officers can be excessively forceful but arguing such measures are justified due to the risks involved.