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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says federal investigators are uncovering a “massive underground fraud network” in Minneapolis that he suggested helped fuel a sudden, coordinated push to drive ICE out of the city.
“We had a massive fraud going on all through Minneapolis, all through Minnesota, and suddenly it turned. It turned almost on a dime, and it became suddenly all about ICE, all about getting ICE out and how horrible ICE was doing,” Blanche said Monday on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“[We had] very strong pushback when we raised our hands and said ‘stop,’ so, yes, we have multiple investigations going on.”
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Blanche also pointed to the financial dimensions of the case, noting that investigators are making “progress” in tracing funding streams connected to the alleged network. Blanche said unraveling those money trails is a priority for federal law enforcement, though he did not name specific individuals or sources.
“It’s not something we’re going to do overnight,” he said, “But… it’s not just [a] coincidence that these massive numbers of protesters and rioters and agitators show up at the same time, and they’re pushing back on what has been a profit center for fraudsters.”
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Blanche’s comments come amid heightened tensions between ICE and the public in the Twin Cities, as immigration enforcement actions have drawn protests, public backlash and intensified scrutiny of the agency’s role in the region.
Those tensions intensified after two civilians — Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in separate incidents in Minneapolis last month, sparking widespread demonstrations and national debate over the scope and conduct of federal immigration enforcement operations.
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