FIRST ON FOX: As Minnesota continues to reel from a massive fraud scheme involving the state’s Somali community, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary McLaughlin gave a scathing response to Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s request for the agency to "reassess" its immigration enforcement strategy.

In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Walz said he was writing with "serious concern" regarding arrests of U.S. citizens made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis. 

McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that "instead of trying to spread misinformation, Tim Walz should focus on protecting American lives and thanking the brave men and women of DHS law enforcement who are risking their lives to make communities in his state safer."

"Yes, U.S. citizens who assault and obstruct law enforcement have been arrested," she went on, adding, "There is a growing and disturbing trend of agitators and rioters obstructing the arrest of illegal aliens and assaulting our brave law enforcement. Our officers are facing a more than 1050% increase in assaults and an 8000% increase in death threats."

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"Obstructing law enforcement is not protesting; it is a crime," said McLaughlin.  

In response to Walz raising concerns about the arrest of a U.S. citizen named "Sue," McLaughlin said the woman assaulted a federal law enforcement officer during a "targeted enforcement operation" in Minneapolis to arrest an Ecuadoran criminal illegal named Quiquintuna Capuz.

According to McLaughlin, Capuz has a previous conviction for felony assault on a police officer. She said that despite the illegal’s record, a "violent group of rioters formed and began assaulting and obstructing law enforcement as they were arresting this dangerous criminal."

U.S. citizen Susan Tincher was arrested after she "assaulted a federal agent, tried to break through a security perimeter set up for public safety, ignored lawful commands, and became violent," per McLaughlin.

"Secretary Noem has been clear: if you lay a hand on a law enforcement you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said McLaughlin.

In his letter, Walz urged Noem to review recent arrests made by federal agents to ensure they have a judicial warrant authorizing detention or seizure and to clarify the legal standard under which a citizen may exercise his rights to document and witness "aggressive law enforcement actions."

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"Reports indicate that some citizens were documenting federal activity, while others were going about their daily lives," he wrote. "This troubling pattern raised serious questions, not only about due process and the rights of U.S. citizens, but also about trust between Minnesota communities and federal authorities."

"This series of incidents raises serious concerns about civil liberties and trust between Minnesota communities and federal authorities," Walz said in a statement regarding his letter. 

"Minnesotans have long valued civic engagement, and detaining citizens for lawfully exercising those rights or going about their daily lives sends a deeply disturbing message. I am urging Secretary Noem to respect the constitution and for her administration to ensure that federal operations are conducted lawfully and with respect for the rights of all individuals."

He stated that the "forcefulness, lack of communication and unlawful practices" displayed by federal agents won't be tolerated in Minnesota. He urged Noem to reassess the broader enforcement strategy.

Walz referenced another person named "Mubashir," who he said was chased, tackled and handcuffed before being detained despite stating his citizenship status, he said. 

The governor said those who document law enforcement activity "play an essential role in transparency, accountability and safeguarding civil liberties in Minnesota."

Immigration officials have said that individuals are free to watch and film law enforcement operations, but anyone obstructing authorities from doing their jobs could face arrest.  

In a statement later on Wednesday night, Walz said, "It’s clear the feds are intent on stoking fear and provoking Minnesotans. Trump wants a show. Don’t give it to him. Stay safe and remain peaceful if you’re interacting with ICE."

MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS VOW NEW CRACKDOWN AFTER $1B FRAUD MELTDOWN THEY SAY WALZ LET SPIRAL

DHS shot back in an X post that "for the past 6 years, Minnesotans have lived in fear for their lives, their families, and their property as you’ve let criminal illegal aliens run wild in your state."

"Governor, do you stand with the illegal aliens we’re taking off YOUR streets or with Americans?" DHS wrote.

Minneapolis has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks over a massive fraud scheme dating back to at least 2020 that permeated several departments and several nonprofits, ranging from childcare services to COVID-19 relief, to autism care, and is believed by many to eventually eclipse $1 billion in wasted state and federal taxpayer funds. 

Republican lawmakers in the state have told Fox News Digital they believe that Walz deserves much of the blame.

State Rep. Mark Koran said, "You have to look at who's been solely in charge of that process, which has been Governor Walz."

"The executive body controls every agency. And I think what to understand is how they are either extraordinarily incompetent or willfully complicit. There are no alternatives to it. And I think they're actually both," said Koran.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Twenty House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a bill reversing President Donald Trump's executive order blocking most federal unions on Thursday.

The bill was led by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, who got a vote on his measure by filing a discharge petition. It's designed to force a vote on legislation over the wishes of leadership provided it gets support from a majority of House lawmakers.

The bill, called the Protect America's Workforce Act, is aimed at repealing a March 2025 executive order by Trump. 

The final vote passed 231 to 195, with all the "no" votes coming from Republicans.

6 HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPLAIN BREAKING WITH PARTY TO END SHUTDOWN

Trump's order blocked collective bargaining with unions at an array of federal agencies, including parts of the departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy.

It also affected workers at the departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), Interior and Agriculture.

During debate on the bill Thursday afternoon, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said undoing Trump's executive order was akin to encouraging "more work-from-home policies for our federal employees," which he said Americans voted against when they elected Trump and Republicans to lead in Washington.

"It is important to remember that public sector unions are fundamentally different from their private sector counterparts," Comer also argued. "In fact, none other than Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a major champion of private sector unions, believed that public sector unions made no sense."

"In the private sector, unions represent workers and sit across the bargaining table from representatives of business owners. However, federal unions are not negotiating with a profit-seeking corporation. They are negotiating with the public's elected representatives."

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, said, "Union bosses love this bill for one reason, and that's because it protects their telework perks, it shields them from accountability, and gives them effective veto power over a duly elected president with a mandate to clean up a bloated federal bureaucracy."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., argued, "Collective bargaining is essentially the freedom to negotiate the best possible work environment."

"I'm thankful for this bipartisan effort to restore collective bargaining rights for more than 1 million public servants that are part of our federal government," Jeffries said.

Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., who said his district was home to thousands of federal workers, argued that restoring collective bargaining rights for those workers is "a lifeline that ensures fair wages, safe workplaces, and the basic dignity that every worker deserves," including corrections officers and people who work with veterans and seniors.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., also appeared on the House floor to debate in favor of the bill, arguing, "These are career public servants, many of them veterans who show up every single day to serve our country. Every American deserves a voice in the workplace, and that includes the people who keep our government running and open."

Discharge petitions are rarely successful in the House but have been used more frequently this year as Republicans grapple with a razor-thin majority. 

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In Golden's case, five House Republicans had signed onto the petition along with 213 Democrats — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Bresnahan, Don Bacon, R-Neb., Lawler and Nick LaLota, R-N.Y.

A vote to advance the bill won support from 13 Republicans on Wednesday night, setting it up for the Thursday vote.

That number grew early on Thursday afternoon during another procedural vote to set up final passage, with 22 Republicans voting to push the bill to its final step.

To be successful, however, the measure would still have to be taken up successfully in the Senate and get signed into law by Trump.