U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said federal agents have been actively conducting criminal fraud investigations across Minnesota, including ground operations tied to suspected large-scale fraud involving foreign aid and potential links to criminal and terrorist activity.

Lyons said ICE personnel have been deployed in Minnesota for an extended period as part of ongoing investigations, countering claims that the agency’s role is limited to administrative enforcement.

According to Lyons, Homeland Security Investigations special agents are focused on tracing financial transactions connected to suspected fraud schemes.

“So ICE has been on the ground in Minnesota for a while now looking at these fraud claims,” Lyons said.

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He explained that investigators are following the flow of money to determine whether public funds are being diverted improperly or sent overseas.

“And one thing now the homeland security investigation special agents are looking into is just that you said that money trail, where this money is going to foreign aid, you know, obviously looking at any type of links to any criminal activity, obviously terrorism activity, you know,” Lyons said.

Lyons emphasized that ICE is pursuing criminal enforcement actions rather than administrative reviews.

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He said agents are operating under criminal warrants as part of the investigations.

“And one thing you will see is that ice is actually out there going with criminal warrants to conduct these investigations,” Lyons said.

He rejected characterizations of ICE as solely an administrative agency or one that targets communities without cause.

“So all too often you hear that ice is just out there terrorizing the community or conducting administrative work,” Lyons said.

According to Lyons, the current operations in Minnesota involve direct, on-the-ground investigative work led by Homeland Security Investigations.

“We've been on the ground in Minnesota conducting criminal investigations,” he said.

Lyons said those efforts include door-to-door investigative activity at locations suspected of being tied to fraud schemes.

He identified St. Paul as one of the primary areas where agents have conducted searches, along with other parts of the state.

“And Homeland Security Investigations has gone door to door to largely suspected frost sites all over St Paul and Minnesota,” Lyons said.

He added that the investigations have already produced valuable information for federal authorities.

“And we're learning a lot,” Lyons said.

WATCH:

🚨 BREAKING: The Director of ICE just revealed CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS are happening in Minneapolis and St. Paul over Somali fraud"ICE is going with CRIMINAL WARRANTS!" 🔥"HSI has gone door-to-door to a LOT of these suspected fraud sites all over St. Paul and Minnesota. We… pic.twitter.com/fA9laYDdNf

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 30, 2025

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