Kristi Noem says she’s 'focused on policing streets, not Trump’s words' amid Minnesota raids

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: With thousands of federal agents deployed across the Twin Cities, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem dismissed concerns over President Donald Trump’s sharp remarks about Somali immigrants, saying she was “focused on policing the streets, not policing president Trump’s words.”

In an interview with the CBS News on whether Trump’s comments risk fueling fear among legal immigrants, Noem drew a clear line between policy and politics dismissing the concerns.

Kristi Noem defends scale and cost of operation

Noem said the decision to send roughly 2,000 agents into Minneapolis and St Paul was driven by what she described as “unprecedented abuse of government programs”.

“The American taxpayer is grateful that that resource allocation has been put here,” she said, adding, “We’ve never seen this kind of fraudulence and abuse of programs before in recent history.”

Noem rejected claims of profiling, saying actions are narrowly targeted. “Every individual that we have focused on the last year has been someone who has broken our laws,” she said.

She added that “law-abiding residents have no reason to fear the crackdown.” She also slammed Gov Tim Walz saying “There’s been $9 billion stolen from the taxpayers in Minnesota since you became Governor.”

More than 90 people have been charged in Minnesota over the past three years as part of multiple fraud investigations. The most prominent case centers on Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit accused of exploiting pandemic-era meal programs.

While many defendants in that case are Somali Americans except organization’s founder, Aimee Bock. The political consequences of the scandal have already been felt with Walz announcing this week that he will not seek another term.

Fear grows despite assurances 

Scrutiny intensified after a viral video from YouTuber Nick Shirley alleged that several day-care centers receiving state funds were not operating.

Inspections later found most of the facilities were open and serving children, though numerous safety and licensing violations were cited. 

Trump has continued to single out Minnesota, calling it a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” president had recently taken aim at Somali immigrants saying they're "ripping off our country."

For some residents, Trump's rhetoric paired with visible enforcement has deepened anxiety.