THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

DHS alleges nearly 470 criminal noncitizens were released from Minnesota jails by local officials

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Local Minnesota jail/dept. records confirm releases totaling nearly 470 individuals identified by DHS as criminal noncitizens.

Source summary
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that law enforcement officers arrested multiple people in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge on Jan. 19, 2026, and highlighted individuals charged with or convicted of offenses including child molestation, rape, assault, terroristic threats and domestic violence. DHS quoted Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticizing local "sanctuary" policies and said the agency has arrested more than 10,000 "criminal illegal aliens" in Minnesota since President Trump took office. The release named several arrestees and listed their countries of origin and alleged or convicted offenses.
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Latest fact check

DHS (press releases dated Jan 13–20, 2026) repeatedly asserted that Minnesota jurisdictions ‘‘have released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens’’ to the community. Minnesota’s Department of Corrections (DOC), with supporting local reporting, says DHS’s figures conflate state prisons, county jails, ICE-only custody, and other jurisdictions, and that DOC records do not show 470 releases from state prison custody; DOC reports only 84 releases with ICE detainers in 2025 and says it coordinates transfers and notifies ICE. Because DHS has not publicly provided the underlying data or methodology to tie the ‘‘nearly 470’’ number to specific jurisdictions and timeframes and Minnesota officials provide conflicting, documented counts, the claim is unverified and currently unclear. Verdict: Unclear — DHS made the assertion, but DHS has not released supporting documentation and Minnesota officials provide contradictory records; further public disclosure of DHS’s source data (which jurisdictions, dates, and custody types were counted) is needed to verify the claim.

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Timeline

  1. Scheduled follow-up · Feb 05, 2026overdue
  2. Completion due · Feb 05, 2026
  3. Update · Jan 21, 2026, 04:51 AMUnclear
    DHS (press releases dated Jan 13–20, 2026) repeatedly asserted that Minnesota jurisdictions ‘‘have released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens’’ to the community. Minnesota’s Department of Corrections (DOC), with supporting local reporting, says DHS’s figures conflate state prisons, county jails, ICE-only custody, and other jurisdictions, and that DOC records do not show 470 releases from state prison custody; DOC reports only 84 releases with ICE detainers in 2025 and says it coordinates transfers and notifies ICE. Because DHS has not publicly provided the underlying data or methodology to tie the ‘‘nearly 470’’ number to specific jurisdictions and timeframes and Minnesota officials provide conflicting, documented counts, the claim is unverified and currently unclear. Verdict: Unclear — DHS made the assertion, but DHS has not released supporting documentation and Minnesota officials provide contradictory records; further public disclosure of DHS’s source data (which jurisdictions, dates, and custody types were counted) is needed to verify the claim.
  4. Original article · Jan 20, 2026
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