MN Corrections Says Feds Are Reporting Phantom Arrests

ST. PAUL, MN — "The facts matter. These individuals were never released into the community."

That is how Minnesota corrections officials are responding after federal authorities publicly described routine ICE custody transfers as new arrests during Operation Metro Surge.

In unusually blunt statements this week, the Minnesota Department of Corrections accused the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement of reporting arrests that, according to state officials, never happened.

DOC says people listed by DHS as having been "arrested" by federal agents were instead handed directly to ICE inside secure state prison facilities, without ever being released into the community.

"They were handed directly to ICE in a secure, controlled setting," DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said. "We informed ICE well in advance, and they coordinated with us to pick them up inside our facility. We have the video to prove it."

The statements from DOC come as federal authorities have continued to promote claims that Minnesota officials are shielding "predators" from ICE.

Video Released To Dispute Federal Claims

On Jan. 22, DOC took the unusual step of releasing video shown at a press briefing that officials say directly contradicts DHS claims about two individuals named in a federal press release.

Despite the documented handoff to ICE on Jan. 12, DHS later listed both men as having been arrested the following day during Operation Metro Surge. DOC says that wording falsely implies the men were released into the community and later apprehended by federal agents.

State officials say the video and a screenshot of the DHS press release show those claims do not align with what actually occurred.

DOC Says Minnesota Honors All ICE Detainers

In a separate release issued a day earlier, DOC pushed back against broader DHS claims that Minnesota does not cooperate with ICE detainers.

DOC says it honors all ICE detainers without exception and is required by law to notify ICE when a person in state prison custody is not a U.S. citizen. ICE alone decides whether to place a detainer and is responsible for taking custody when a release occurs.

DOC officials said DHS has not identified a single case in which Minnesota released someone in violation of an ICE detainer.

Dispute Over Federal Lists And Records

DOC also criticized DHS for publishing lists of individuals described as dangerous criminals allegedly held by Minnesota authorities.

According to a state review, many of the individuals named in DHS press releases were never in Minnesota prison custody, were released to federal immigration authorities years ago, or have no Minnesota criminal records at all.

State officials say DHS frequently conflates state prisons, county jails, and federal custody, leading to confusion about who is being held where.

"It is disturbing that DHS continues to issue inaccurate statements that erode public trust," Schnell said. "We will not allow misinformation to go unchecked."

DOC said it will continue correcting the record as long as federal agencies publish claims that do not match state records or documented custody transfers.

Federal officials have not publicly responded to the DOC’s latest statements or the release of video evidence