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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has spoken out against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz after he compared fear among immigrant children during a federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis to the experience of Anne Frank and Jewish families during the Holocaust.
The comments, made during a press briefing following the fatal shooting of a local nurse during an encounter with immigration agents, has prompted a sharp rebuke Memorial Museum just hours before International Holocaust Memorial Day.
Why It Matters
The dispute highlights growing tensions over immigration enforcement, political rhetoric and the appropriate use of historical comparisons—particularly those involving the Holocaust. With antisemitism on the rise nationwide, Holocaust scholars and Jewish organizations have increasingly warned against drawing parallels between modern policy disputes and Nazi-era atrocities.
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At the same time, the deaths of civilians during immigration operations have intensified debate over the use of force by federal agents and the scope of immigration enforcement in U.S. cities.
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What To Know
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Walz said some children in Minnesota were afraid to leave their homes due to aggressive federal immigration tactics.
“We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank,” Walz said. He added that “somebody is going to write that children’s story about Minnesota,” and suggested President Donald Trump could end the situation.
Newsweek reached out to Walz via email for comment.
On Monday, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a public statement condemning what it described as a false equivalency.
“Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish. Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable,” the museum said.
The statement emphasized that exploiting the Holocaust is “deeply offensive,” particularly amid a surge in antisemitism. The post was shared hours before International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Holocaust Museum via email for comment.
A post shared by US Holocaust Memorial Museum (@holocaustmuseum)
Federal authorities launched a large-scale immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota known as “Operation Metro Surge,” deploying thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents to Minneapolis and the surrounding region in December 2025.
During the operation, federal agents shot and killed at least two civilians—Renée Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, on January 24—incidents that have drawn national criticism of federal use of force and intensified local unrest.
The deaths have sparked sustained protests across Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota, including demonstrations demanding federal agents leave the city.
What People Are Saying
Governor Tim Walz said in an interview on Sunday: “We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody is going to write that children's story about Minnesota, and there's one person who can end this now.”
The White House rapid response account on X said in a post: "Walz again compares enforcing our nation's immigration laws to Nazi Germany: ‘Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody's going to write that children's story about Minnesota.’ A truly disturbed, unstable individual."
Representative Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, wrote on X**:** "Comparing the removal of illegal immigrants to the Holocaust is antisemitic and repulsive. Will Jewish Democrats call him out? I won't hold my breath."
What Happens Next
A number of high-profile Democrats have called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shooting of Pretti on January 24. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has maintained that Pretti’s death was the result of ICE officers protecting themselves.
Walz’s comments have drawn criticism from Jewish organizations and political opponents, particularly as lawmakers and advocacy groups debate the boundaries of historical comparisons in political discourse.
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