A Holocaust museum has criticised Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for comparing children in the state to Anne Frank hiding from the Nazis.Mr Walz drew the comparison while speaking at a press conference just days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day.He suggested children in Minnesota are fearful of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers in the same way Ms Frank was afraid of the Nazis during World War II.Mr Walz, who has said he will not seek a third term as governor, said: “We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses afraid to go outside.
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“Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody’s going to write that children’s story about Minnesota.”His comments have however sparked backlash from the US Holocaust Museum, who said “exploiting” the mass-murder of Jews is “never acceptable”.The museum wrote to X: “Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish.”Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable. “Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges.”Deportation raids in Minnesota began in early December, when Mr Trump’s administration launched “Operation Metro Surge”, deploying Ice and Border Patrol agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.This month, in two separate incidents, federal agents shot and killed US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.The shootings drew criticism of President Trump’s administration from Mr Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other Democrats.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSDonald Trump announces Ukraine ceasefire after promise from Putin to halt all attacksDonald Trump’s border tsar won’t pull Ice out of Minneapolis but makes tacit admissionTwo Border Patrol agents involved in deadly Minneapolis shooting placed on leaveUS “border tsar” Tom Homan, newly installed as commander of President Trump’s immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, said today that federal agents would focus on “targeted” operations, shifting away from the broad street sweeps that have drawn widespread outrage.Mr Homan also said he would reduce the 3,000-strong force of agents deployed to the city if he received “cooperation” from state and local leaders, noting that he has had productive meetings with Mr Walz and Mr Frey.Newly issued internal guidance from a high-ranking Ice official directs federal officers to refrain from any unnecessary communication and engagement with “agitators” so as to avoid “inflaming the situation”.The directive also orders Ice officers to only target immigrants who have records of criminal charges or convictions, a departure from earlier tactics that included stopping people on the street to demand documented proof of legal US residence or citizenship.Echoing that directive, Mr Homan said agents would prioritise those who pose a threat to public safety or national security, though he emphasised President Trump’s administration remains committed to deporting any and all immigrants living in the country illegally.”We’re not surrendering our mission at all, we’re just doing it smarter,” he said.He also pushed for more access to Minnesota jails for Ice agents so they can pick up targeted immigrants when they are released from local custody, which he said would lessen the need for more disruptive and dangerous street sweeps.
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