Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday during an appearance on “CBS Mornings” that he thinks the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis should end immediately and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department is overseeing the operation, should be fired.
“The mission is broken. It must be terminated,” said Shapiro, a Democrat from Montgomery County who is seeking reelection this year and has been widely mentioned as a potential candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.
Shapiro has made a number of appearances on national media shows this week as he promotes his new memoir, “Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service,” which was officially released Tuesday. In addition to Tuesday morning’s appearance on “CBS Mornings,” he has been a guest on shows including NPR’s “All Things Considered,” ABC’s “The View” and “Good Morning America,” and CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
His campaign did not immediately return a message from TribLive on Tuesday afternoon.
Before talking about his new book on “CBS Mornings,” Shapiro was asked several questions about the turmoil in Minnesota.
More than 3,000 federal officers have been deployed to the Minneapolis area to conduct what Homeland Security has called the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out. Homeland Security said last week that more than 3,000 people had been arrested in the Minneapolis area as part of its Operation Metro Surge. The operation has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of immigration officers fatally shooting two residents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in separate incidents.
As for Noem, Shapiro said, “Trump should fire her. And if Trump doesn’t fire her, the Congress should act.”
When asked if he was concerned that a situation similar to Minnesota could unfold in Pennsylvania, Shapiro said, “Of course. I think all governors are worried about that.”
“I think we are prepared to handle it about as best as you can,” Shapiro added. “But make no mistake, if the president of the United States wants to wreak havoc on a community with federal troops, we can push back. We can try and stop them in a court, we can try and stop them in the community. We should all be concerned about that.”