Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to reporters after he announced that he would not seek reelection, at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. January 5, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans
(Minneapolis, Minnesota) – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is facing sharp backlash after remarks critics say compared undocumented immigrants avoiding ICE enforcement to Jewish people who hid from Nazis during the Holocaust.
Walz’s comments, made amid ongoing protests and federal immigration operations in Minnesota, were interpreted by opponents as drawing a parallel between immigration enforcement and Nazi persecution. The comparison quickly sparked outrage online and from conservative commentators, who called it historically offensive and inappropriate.
Critics accused Walz of trivializing the Holocaust and misusing its history in a modern political debate. Several voices described the remarks as insulting to Jewish communities, arguing that equating victims of Nazi genocide with undocumented immigrants crossed a moral line.
Following the remarks, calls for Walz’s resignation spread across social media, with critics saying the comparison was “unforgivable” and demanded accountability from the governor. Supporters of Walz, however, argued that his comments were intended to criticize fear within immigrant communities rather than diminish the Holocaust.
Walz’s office has not issued a clarification or apology addressing the backlash as of publication.
