Tim Walz previously promoted story of ICE raids as 'terrorism' in the United States

Vice President Kamala Harris's chosen running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz once pushed the narrative that raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were instances of domestic "terrorism" in the United States.

Walz, who previously represented Minnesota as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, told an audience in 2017 about the aftermath of the 2006 ICE action "Operation Wagon Train," Fox News reported. During the operation, criminals, including illegal immigrants, used the social security numbers and identities of lawful U.S. citizens to secure jobs at Swift Co.

"This is still one of the most moving things for me a week after I was elected in 2006, that giant ICE raid happened in Worthington," Walz told the audience. "I drove out to Worthington as the congressman-elect, went into the basement of the Catholic Church where Father Brixius was, who asked me to look around at all the children crying, and he said, ‘This is what terrorism looks like in America today.’ 

"What I told them at that time is that I hold the voting card in my pocket, and the votes I will take will be to make sure we protect these folks," he added.

Walz also spoke on his support for sanctuary cities, and said asylum seekers should be protected when reporting a crime against themselves or someone else.

"I have a gentleman in the first district who was here and was on an exchange," Walz said. "His visa expired. He stayed. He created a life here. He had no criminal record. He had 22 years, adding to our community, had a job. He did not have permanent legal status to be here. His two young daughters were assaulted. He went to the police to tell them, and he was arrested and deported. That's not who we are."

He continued: "Our citizens need to know that if they go to the police to report a crime either against themselves or someone else, that they're going to be protected [and] ... able to do that, and our police don't ask immigration status because it's not their job to do that."

The report comes as Walz faces scrutiny as Harris's second-in-command, including scrutiny over his military background. Walz's campaign previously described him as a “war vet," despite never being stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

He also claimed to have retired as "command sergeant major," but was demoted and "retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy," the Minnesota National Guard told Just the News.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.