Tim Walz’s daughter Hope wishes merry Christmas to illegal migrants that ‘ICE has been terrorizing’ in divisive holiday message
On Christmas Eve, 24‑year‑old Hope Walz, the daughter of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, took to TikTok to deliver a holiday greeting that quickly sparked a polarized online debate. “I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all. Today I’m holding our neighbors that ICE has been terrorizing near and dear to my heart and sending them all the love and light as well as all the unhoused folks — just anybody that may be struggling right now I’m holding very close to me and I hope you can all do so as well,” the young social worker said in the clips she posted. “This year has been a tough one for all of us,” she added at the end of the video.
Walz’s message, aimed at people who she described as “neighbors ICE has been terrorizing,” was quickly labeled by many Internet users as tone‑dead and out of touch. Online critics accused her of neglecting the plight of American families impacted by illegal immigration and of overlooking the needs of unhoused residents in her state. One comment read, “Of course, Hope completely ignores the American victims of illegals,” while another added, “Too bad she doesn’t care about unhoused Americans.” A third user even suggested that the video was meant to “hold all of our unhoused military‑age men from the CCP Iran, Pakistan Afghanistan just hold them there and to your heart,” echoing a broader frustration around how immigration enforcement intersects with domestic welfare concerns.
The controversy has a concrete backdrop. ICE agents recently conducted a sweeping operation in Minneapolis that targeted hundreds of Somali residents, a community in which roughly 80 000 East African nationals live. According to the state’s Department of Human Services, these enforcement actions followed a scandal in which Somali‑led scammers siphoned about $1 billion from Minnesota taxpayers, allegations that governor Walz has publicly addressed. The same department reports that the state has been working to curb such fraud while also confronting the humanitarian implications of immigration law.
Hope Walz, who has amped up her platform on TikTok where she now has more than half a million followers, has become a vocal pro‑democrat voice since her father was selected as the 2024 vice‑presidential running mate for President Kamala Harris. She has repeatedly criticized former President Trump, who last month used a harsh nickname for her dad in a scathing remark that blamed the governor for allowing “tens of thousands of Somali immigrants” to “take over” Minnesota. In a deleted video after the incident, she said, “The president calling my dad what he did has unleashed a f–king s–t storm regarding offensive language towards me and my family and specifically my brother.”
Earlier this month, Walz announced that she would step away from TikTok temporarily, citing safety concerns after receiving a wave of threatening messages. She said the platform was no longer “safe” for her, a move that came amid a growing backlash against her for her public stance on immigration and her calls for support of the homeless and immigrant communities.
The episode underscores the intense polarization surrounding immigration policy in the United States today. While some see Walz’s holiday message as a heartfelt call for compassion, others view it as a political statement that risks deepening divide amid an already fractured conversation about law enforcement and humanitarian care. The governor’s own administration is navigating a complex mix of public finance concerns, community safety, and the rights of all residents, a balance that remains at the center of the state’s current debate.
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