Tim Walz warns Minnesota could be a 'Fort Sumter moment' after his policies cause chaos in state

In an interview with The Atlantic, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz warned that the rising tensions in his state between anti-ICE agitators and federal immigration enforcement agents could be a Fort Sumter moment for the country.

"I mean, is this a Fort Sumter?" He questioned, adding, "It’s a physical assault. It’s an armed force that’s assaulting, that’s killing my constituents, my citizens." The Atlantic noted of Walz’s Fort Sumter comment, "He let his question about Fort Sumter hang without an answer." Fort Sumter, which lies in the middle of South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor, was the site of an April attack in 1861 that marked the official beginning of the Civil War.

Walz also brought up abolitionist John Brown during his interview with The Atlantic, with the figure rising to fame after storming a federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in 1859. "Guns pointed, American at American is certainly not where we want to go," said Walz.

Federal agents have been sent to Walz’s state as part of Operation Metro Surge, an operation that, as of January 1,9 has resulted in the arrests of 3,000 criminal illegal immigrants, per the Department of Homeland Security.

Agitators have sought to interfere with ICE operations in the state, with a large focus on Minneapolis, setting up Signal chat networks to rapidly deploy agitators wherever agents are spotted. Two people have been fatally shot by federal agents in the city since the start of January, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom were involved with anti-ICE efforts. Good was shot after ramming her vehicle into an ICE agent, while Pretti was shot while he resisted arrest and border patrol agents said he had a firearm on his person.

Over the summer, Walz was grilled by Congress for claiming that his state is not a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants, with Rep. Tom Emmer saying, "So you claim you’re not a sanctuary state. You just provide free healthcare, free college, and driver’s licenses to illegal aliens."

"One reason you're here testifying before us today is because you refuse to cooperate with ICE. While states like Florida and Virginia empower their law enforcement to detain and remove criminal illegal aliens, you, sir, have done just the opposite. Your Attorney General is directing law enforcement to ignore ICE Immigration detainers. Do you agree with the Attorney General's guidance," Emmer asked.

Walz claimed during the hearing that Minnesota "follows all law." Minneapolis’ Mayor Jacob Frey has recently said, however, that his city "does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, and that we will remain focused on keeping our neighbors and streets safe."