The U.S. Holocaust Museum has condemned comments made by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) where he compared the effects of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota to the experiences of Anne Frank.
In a post on X, the museum stated that the situations in Minnesota and the Holocaust’s systematic extermination of Jews are fundamentally different.
“Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish. Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable,” the museum emphasized. “Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges.”
During a press conference on Sunday, Walz highlighted the fear experienced by immigrant families and children due to the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge.
This federal enforcement initiative gained national attention following the tragic shootings of ICU nurse Alex Pretti and American citizen Renee Good.
Walz referenced The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, suggesting that a similar narrative could emerge regarding the lives of children in Minnesota. “Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank,” he said, expressing concern that children in Minnesota are now “hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside.”
“Somebody’s going to write that children’s story about Minnesota,” Walz added.
Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager, documented her life in hiding from the Nazis during World War II before her capture and subsequent death in a concentration camp.
The mission of the Holocaust Museum includes confronting hatred and preventing genocide through education and remembrance of the murder of six million Jews and millions of other victims by Nazi Germany.
During the same press conference, Walz praised protests by Minnesotans against the presence of immigration enforcement and reiterated his calls for President Donald Trump to end ICE and Border Patrol operations in the state.
As tensions escalate, Trump mentioned that he spoke with Walz to mediate the situation and encourage collaboration between state and federal enforcement.
https://x.com/HolocaustMuseum/status/2015830385331216482?s=20
