Minnesota Jails Face Quiet Deportation Plan as Trump Adviser Cites Avoiding Street Violence

By Jim Thomas | Saturday, January 31, 2026

Trump adviser Dick Morris stated on a recent cable news program that “1,350 people in custody in Minnesota jails” who “are here illegally” should be “quietly taken into custody and deported,” arguing that a jail-focused approach would avoid what he called “the risk of violence” from street enforcement.

Morris described how Trump, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey had agreed to collaborate on immigration enforcement, stating: “I think Trump and [Mayor Jacob] Frey and Walz all agreed that it made sense.”

The adviser said the administration would begin by asking federal agents to enter the jails to remove these individuals, adding: “So we don’t have to chase people on the street with armored cars and face the risk of violence.”

Morris also noted that the broader enforcement strategy would be “relatively nonviolent,” citing “some marches, some protests, some arrests” but no deaths or shootings. He predicted: “These people will be quietly taken into custody and deported.”

When asked about a recent court ruling denying Minnesota’s bid to block federal immigration agents, Morris said the decision would help move the operation forward: “I think that the Trump-Walz deal in discussions offers an exit path” for everyone.

Morris shifted focus to what he called fraud in Minnesota, stating billions of dollars had been “apparently stolen” through “state-sponsored welfare fraud.” He urged Trump to “go into the prisons, check the IDs of everybody, arrest those who are here illegally, deport them.” The adviser added: “I think that might solve the problem.”