On a Friday visit to the Twin Cities touting recent activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took aim at state and local Democratic leaders for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

Standing with immigration officials behind large bags of methamphetamine, cocaine, and dozens of firearms seized in what ICE said were recent enforcement actions in the Twin Cities, Noem told reporters gathered in the federal building at Fort Snelling that an ongoing immigration crackdown under Republican President Donald Trump is making Minnesota and the U.S. safer.

Since January of this year, ICE has removed more than 4,300 people in the U.S. illegally in the state of Minnesota, according to ICE. Of that number, 3,316 had criminal histories and 98 were gang members, Noem claimed.

Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, called on state leaders to help federal authorities enforce immigration laws and accused Gov. Tim Walz and Twin Cities leaders of shielding people present in the U.S. illegally.

“We don’t decide which law gets enforced and which one doesn’t. They are laws, they are on the books. They were put in place, voted on, and instituted. And therefore, we enforce them all. If members of Congress, senators, governors don’t like the law, then they should go through the work of changing them.”

Some describe St. Paul and Minneapolis as “sanctuary cities” because they have local laws that limit cooperation between law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.

Minnesota itself does not have a sanctuary policy barring cooperation with immigration authorities, something Walz told Republican members of Congress when he and other Democratic governors were summoned to testify on their states’ immigration policies in May.

Still, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans view Walz as uncooperative on immigration and have pointed to Attorney General Keith Ellison’s opinion that Minnesota can’t enforce immigration detainers if an individual can otherwise be released from custody.

When the Trump Department of Justice sued Minnesota over “sanctuary” policies in September, its lawsuit mentioned the detainer policy and that Minnesota does not share driver’s license data for use in immigration enforcement.

“I don’t know how he sleeps at night,” Noem said of Walz. “I don’t know how he goes to bed knowing that he’s letting these people walk these streets and there can be more victims the next day. I hope that the next family who loses their child to the drugs that are on this table or illegal weapons that are on the streets doesn’t have to put up with a governor like that.”

Besides an update on ICE activities in Minnesota since Trump took office in January, Noem did not share any substantial updates on immigration enforcement in Minnesota during her Friday appearance before the press at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building.

“It appears that this visit was perhaps more about pulling a political stunt than about solving a problem,” Walz’s office said in a statement.

Asked by a reporter whether the Trump administration would send National Guard soldiers to Minnesota as he has to other states ostensibly for public safety reasons, Noem would not answer, saying the decision ultimately lies with the president.

However, Noem said Minnesota could expect additional ICE agents to join existing efforts in the state as the Department of Homeland Security continues its push to hire 10,000 new officers nationwide — doubling its workforce.

During the news conference, a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the federal building to protest Noem’s visit and Trump’s unprecedented immigration crackdown. Protesters chanted “Say it loud, say it clear: Immigrants are welcome here” and carried signs comparing ICE to secret police services like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union’s KGB.

Protesters opposed to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown gather outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling during Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to the Twin Cities on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Alex Derosier / Pioneer Press)

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey both used Noem’s visit as an opportunity to reinforce to the public their commitment to protecting immigrant communities in their cities.

“We’re aware ICE and federal agents are in the Twin Cities ahead of Kristi Noem’s speech today,” Carter said in a statement on social media. “Though we’re not aware of planned enforcement activity, I share your concerns … (St. Paul Police Department) will not participate in immigration enforcement.”

Frey made his remarks in a video statement posted to the city of Minneapolis’ YouTube channel.

“In Minneapolis, we don’t back down from our values, we stand with our immigrant neighbors,” Frey said. “In Minneapolis, we have your back. You will be protected and respected by our City employees, regardless of your immigration status.”

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For the second time in less than a year, vandals have destroyed several young trees recently planted along Shepard Road in downtown St. Paul, city officials said Friday.

South of the Smith Avenue High Bridge, 32 saplings were “cut just a few feet from the ground with their canopies left behind,” according to a St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department social media post.

The trees were planted last October by the city in partnership with the St. Paul nonprofit Tree Trust to replace the riverside canopy destroyed by the emerald ash borer.

It was just a month later that 60 of them were found ripped out of the ground near the Wabasha Street Bridge and tossed into the Mississippi River. Those trees were later replanted by volunteers.

City officials hope to also replace the 32 trees destroyed in this latest round of vandalism, but they said no funding has yet been identified for this.

“While this incident is disappointing, we remain committed to growing and strengthening our urban canopy,” the parks department said in its social media post. “You can also help by watering recently planted trees on your boulevard or in your yard throughout the growing season and before the ground freezes each fall.”

City officials asked anyone with information about the destruction of the trees to call the St. Paul Police Department’s non-emergency line at 651-291-1111.

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A South Dakota company is recalling more than 2.2 million pounds of Korean barbecue pork jerky sold at Costco and Sam’s Club stores because the product may be contaminated with pieces of metal, federal health officials said Friday.

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LSI, Inc., of Alpena, voluntarily pulled the product after customers complained about finding pieces of wiry metal in the jerky, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. Company officials said the metal came from a conveyor belt used in production. No confirmed injuries have been reported,

The recall includes 14.-5-ounce and 16-ounce plastic pouches of meat jerky labeled “Golden Island fire-grilled pork jerky Korean barbecue recipe.” Roughly four dozen lots of jerky are affected. The products have a one-year shelf life with best-by dates ranging from Oct. 23, 2025, to Sept. 23, 2026. The packages contain the establishment number M279A inside the USDA mark of inspection.

People shouldn’t eat the recalled jerky and should throw it away or return it to stores for refund.

Contamination with rocks, sticks, insects and other foreign objects occasionally occurs in food produced in the U.S. Consumers who find foreign materials in food should notify manufacturers, food safety experts said.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK (AP) — For nearly three years, JPMorgan Chase has picking up the legal tab of Charlie Javice and Olivier Amar, the two convicted fraudsters who sold their financial aid startup Frank to the bank.

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But the two have racked up an astronomical, nine-figure legal bill that far exceeds any reasonable amount the two may have needed for their defense, the bank said in a court filing late Friday. Chase shouldn’t have to pay and its agreement as part of the startup purchase to shoulder the costs should end, the bank argued.

According to the filing, Javice’s team of lawyers across five law firms have billed JPMorgan approximately $60.1 million in legal fees and expenses, while Amar’s lawyers have billed the bank roughly $55.2 million in fees.

In total, the bank alleges Javice and Amar’s lawyers have racked up legal fees of $115 million, with one law firm receiving $35.6 million in reimbursements alone. In comparison, Elizabeth Holmes, who was convicted of defrauding investors in the Theranos case, reportedly ended up with a legal bill of roughly $30 million.

The bank would be “irreparably injured” if the court does not put an end to “abusive billing,” the bank said. Javice and her lawyers have treated the process “like a blank check,” Chase said.

Javice, 33, was convicted in March of duping the banking giant when it bought her company, called Frank, in the summer of 2021. She made false records that made it seem like Frank had over 4 million customers when it had fewer than 300,000. Amar was convicted of the same charges.

Early in the case, a Delaware court ruled that the bank was required to advance Javice and Amar for any legal fees, which was part of the bank’s agreement when Frank was acquired in 2021.

Part of Javice’s legal team is Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, who is also the lawyer who has previously represented Elon Musk. Spiro did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

A law firm representing Amar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The legal fees sought by Charlie Javice and Olivier Amar are patently excessive and egregious. We look forward to sharing details of this abuse with the court in coming weeks,” said Pablo Rodriguez, a spokesman for the bank