Washington, D.C. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison told a House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday that federal immigration enforcement in the state has complicated efforts to investigate fraud involving public programs.
Walz said the surge of federal agents tied to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown diverted resources that prosecutors could otherwise use for fraud investigations. The enforcement effort, known as Operation Metro Surge, began in December and at one point involved roughly 3,000 federal agents, with about 650 investigators still assigned to Minnesota.
Ellison argued the enforcement push overwhelmed federal prosecutors with immigration-related legal filings, limiting their ability to pursue fraud cases. He noted that Minnesota authorities have secured about 300 Medicaid fraud convictions and recovered more than $80 million for taxpayers.
Republicans on the committee sharply criticized Walz and Ellison, accusing them of failing to act aggressively enough against fraud in government programs. Committee chair Rep. James Comer said the state had not been a good steward of taxpayer funds.
The hearing comes as the Trump administration temporarily paused $243 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns. State officials filed a lawsuit seeking to restore the funding, warning that cuts could affect health care for low-income residents.
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