Minnesota Corrections Debunk Major Claims From Federal Authorities

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- The Minnesota Department of Corrections has created a page on its website to combat what it says is misinformation coming from the federal Department of Homeland Security.

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They say DHS is claiming 1,360 individuals with an ICE detainer are in custody in Minnesota.  However, the DOC says there are about 94 individuals in county jails, and 207 in state prisons, for a total of about 300.  Which creates a discrepancy of about 1,000 people.

The Minnesota DOC is also disputing claims made by the U.S. Border Patrol hours after the deadly shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino held a press conference asserting that the operation was targeting an individual named Jose Huerta-Chuma and characterized him as having a significant criminal history.

Read More: Federal Agents Involved In Fatal Shooting In South Minneapolis |

However, the DOC says that the man identified by Bovino has never been in Minnesota DOC custody, court records show no felony commitments associated with him, public court records only show misdemeanor-level traffic offenses from over a decade ago, and he is not currently under DOC supervision.

DOC records further indicate that an individual by this name was previously held in federal immigration custody in a local Minnesota jail in 2018, during President Trump’s first administration. Any decisions regarding release from federal custody at that time would have been made by federal authorities.