Obama Condemns Minnesota Immigration Raids, Calls Them ‘Authoritarian’

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has strongly criticized recent immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, comparing the actions to the behavior of authoritarian regimes.

Over the past several weeks, thousands of federal agents — including officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — conducted widespread raids and arrests across Minnesota. The Trump administration maintained that the operations targeted criminals. However, the enforcement campaign was halted earlier this week.

In an interview published Saturday, Obama described the conduct of federal agents as “deeply troubling and dangerous.” He said the behavior of some federal officials, including two fatal shooting incidents, resembled actions “we have seen in authoritarian states and dictatorships in the past.”

Despite his concerns, Obama expressed hope in the public response. He noted that ordinary citizens have been organizing and speaking out, declaring, “This is not the America we believe in,” and resisting through truth, documentation, and peaceful protest.

According to Obama, the sustained demonstrations — even in severe winter conditions — are a source of encouragement. He said as long as such civic resistance continues, there remains hope for restoring the country’s democratic values.

Meanwhile, Tom Homan, an immigration official under the Trump administration, announced Thursday the end of the intensified enforcement operations in Minnesota. The raids had sparked major protests and nationwide criticism.

In the same interview, Obama also criticized the decline of civility in U.S. political discourse and responded to a controversial social media post by Donald Trump that referenced him and former First Lady Michelle Obama.