Amy Klobuchar says ICE now outnumbers 'combined' Twin Cities police forces in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has raised concerns regarding a massive surge of federal agents in the Twin Cities, claiming that ICE officers now outnumber the combined police forces of Minneapolis and St Paul. 

This deployment comes amid a growing dispute over federal exclusion of state investigators from the probe into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.

 Amy Klobuchar says federal agent surge outnumbers local Twin Cities police

During a recent interview with Jen Psaki, Senator Amy Klobuchar highlighted what she views as a significant imbalance in law enforcement resources within her home state.

She expressed deep concern that federal personnel have now surpassed local police presence.

"There are now more ICE agents in Minnesota than there are police officers combined in the Minneapolis and St Paul police forces. So they are outnumbering our own local police officers out on the streets," Klobuchar stated.

She went on to describe chaotic scenes involving the detention of individuals with valid documentation. "They have picked up people who are legal, who have passports, who are yelling, 'I have a passport! I have a passport! Look at my phone, I have a passport!' And this has just got to stop," she added, emphasizing the breakdown in community trust.

This assessment follows reports that the Trump administration initiated a deployment of hundreds of Department of Homeland Security agents to the region. 

Federal officials have indicated that this crackdown could eventually involve approximately 2,000 agents from both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations. 

Local police staffing decreases as the deployment approx 2,000 fed agents

The increase in federal agents comes at a time when local departments are maintaining much smaller forces. 

The St Paul Police Department currently has around 800 employees, including 550 sworn officers, and the Minneapolis Police Department reported 579 sworn officers early last year. 

In contrast, the 30-day federal surge involves agents from Homeland Security Investigations and ICE’s deportation branch. 

These federal teams are expected to build on previous fraud inspections conducted in the Minneapolis area. 

Disputes over Renee Good investigation

Furthermore, Klobuchar and Senator Tina Smith are challenging the Department of Justice's decision to exclude state investigators from a high-profile case. 

The senators sent a joint letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension be included in the FBI’s investigation into the killing of Renee Good. 

Klobuchar expressed her frustration with this shift on her X account, noting that state and federal investigators have successfully collaborated on past tragedies. 

"Sen Smith and I called on the DOJ to work with the Minnesota BCA and local authorities in investigating the shooting of Renee Nicole Good. The state professional investigators coordinated on the tragic Hortman and Annunciation Church shootings with no issues — they shouldn’t be cut out now. We must have a thorough, objective, and impartial investigation," Klobuchar stated.