Both officials have said such policies are designed to encourage crime reporting and cooperation without fear of immigration consequences.
ICE has countered that such policies can impede enforcement actions against individuals with serious criminal records.
ICE officials say enforcement actions like the arrest of Yusuf demonstrate the challenges agents face when access to suspects is restricted.
The Department of Homeland Security has not announced whether additional enforcement actions are planned in Minneapolis, but ICE said it will continue operations focused on individuals it considers threats to public safety.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers launched a targeted enforcement operation in Minnesota, Dec. 31, to locate and apprehend Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, a criminal illegal alien and convicted sex offender from Somalia. Thanks to the sanctuary policies of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, this dangerous criminal was free to prowl the streets and victimize Minneapolis residents for years,” ICE said in a press release.
“Yusuf committed a series of horrific crimes, including a conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the first degree where he forced his victim to perform oral sex on him multiple times. He was also arrested in 2016 for assault in the first degree and has an active warrant from 2024 for obstructing police,” it said.
“He originally entered the United States in 1996 and was a lawful permanent resident. However, he threw away his shot at the American dream by repaying our country’s generosity with these vicious crimes,” the press release said. Continue reading…
