Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.
A cumulative total of nearly 470 criminal noncitizens were released from Minnesota custody during the period since President Trump took office.
Multiple official Department of Homeland Security press releases explicitly state that Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey "have released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets of Minnesota" (or Minneapolis) since President Trump took office. A January 13, 2026 DHS release on Operation Metro Surge says Walz has "released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets of Minnesota" and adds that "Governor Walz and Mayor Frey REFUSE to cooperate with ICE law enforcement" and "They have released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens including violent criminals back onto the streets of Minnesota." A January 13, 2026 DHS release calling on Walz and Frey to honor ICE detainers similarly asserts that Walz "released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets of Minnesota" and that "Governor Walz and Mayor Frey ... have released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets of Minneapolis." A January 14, 2026 DHS release on Mayor Frey’s "sanctuary policies" again states that since President Trump took office, "Governor Walz and Mayor Frey refused to cooperate with ICE and released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets of Minnesota." While the paraphrase uses "criminal noncitizens" instead of DHS’s term "criminal illegal aliens," it accurately reflects that DHS claimed Walz and Frey released nearly 470 such individuals since Trump took office.
The verdict is True because DHS has repeatedly and explicitly made this claim in its own official press releases, and the paraphrased statement matches DHS’s asserted figures and timeframe, differing only in terminology that does not change the substantive meaning.