(NewsNation) — Former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty believes the lack of support offered to ICE leaves them little choice but to surge in Minneapolis.
Pawlenty spoke to NewsNation hours after Minnesota announced it was suing the Department of Homeland Security to stop the surge of immigration officers being sent to the state.
It followed DHS preparations to send 1,000 additional immigration officers to Minnesota, with hundreds expected to be deployed as soon as Monday, sources told NewsNation.
“Minneapolis and other cities and jurisdictions in Minnesota, unfortunately, are sanctuary cities, so the local officials will not cooperate with or protect ICE to any substantial degree,” Pawlenty told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
“ICE, on the other hand, doesn’t trust or can’t depend on the locals to do so. So, the surge and some of the tactics you’re seeing are pretty aggressive, and I think, in part, because the locals have abandoned the tradition of at least protecting them or cooperating, and it’s dysfunctional between the state and federal agencies. But that doesn’t make it illegal,” Pawlenty added.
Minnesota is asking for immediate relief in court Tuesday via a temporary restraining order, state officials said.
Pawlenty explained violence and harassment of ICE officers has contributed to increased federal agents in Minnesota.
“If the local jurisdictions will not protect ICE and set up a proper perimeter so they can conduct their legal duties to enforce immigration laws in this country, they have no choice then but to surge forces so they can set up their own perimeters and have enough personnel on the ground to do this safely,” Pawlenty said.
