Fact Check: Metro Surge And Fraud Claims
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Introduction
- The Megyn Kelly Show Podcast – February 13, 2026
- False: 6 – Misleading: 5 – Unverifiable: 7
- Fact Check: Claims About Metro Surge Arrests And Fraud Allegations Examined
Immigration enforcement in Minnesota anchors the February 13, 2026 edition of The Megyn Kelly Show Podcast with Megyn Kelly, delivered in AM Update format and hosted by Emily Jasinski. The episode centers on the announced end of “Operation Metro Surge” in the Twin Cities, alongside escalating political tensions over state and federal cooperation. The format blends headline reporting, taped remarks, and excerpts from congressional hearings.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison features prominently through clips from his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, where he faces pointed questioning from several Republican senators about state cooperation with federal immigration authorities and fraud investigations. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott also appear during the hearings, while Democratic Sen. Alyssa Slotkin raises concerns about hypothetical federal deployments near polling places.
Beyond immigration, the episode shifts to two developing stories. It covers the search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, including requests for neighborhood surveillance footage, and introduces new reporting about a temporary airspace shutdown over El Paso tied to the deployment of a Pentagon-provided high-energy laser. The structure moves sequentially through each story, with audio clips embedded to frame political and investigative developments.
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The announced conclusion of “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota and federal officials’ description of new coordination agreements with state and local authorities regarding immigration enforcement procedures.
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Statements from Minnesota state leaders disputing federal characterizations of cooperation changes, including differing accounts of policy adjustments and operational practices between ICE and local agencies.
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Testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee examining Minnesota’s relationship with federal immigration enforcement and lawmakers’ questioning of state compliance practices.
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Exchanges between senators and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison concerning deportation policy, civil versus criminal enforcement distinctions, and due process considerations.
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Allegations raised during the hearing about fraud investigations in Minnesota, including references to the Feeding Our Future program and campaign contribution claims discussed on the record.
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Questions posed to federal immigration officials about hypothetical scenarios involving the deployment of immigration agents near polling locations during elections.
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The ongoing search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, including law enforcement requests for neighborhood surveillance footage spanning specific dates.
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Commentary from a true crime host reporting from Tucson about investigative leads, delivery records, and neighbors’ perspectives regarding the missing person case.
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A temporary shutdown of airspace over El Paso and nearby areas, including references to notices to airmen and subsequent lifting of flight restrictions.
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Reporting that the airspace disruption involved the deployment of a high-energy laser system by federal authorities in response to a suspected drone incident.
Claim Count Validation
- Total factual claims detected: 43
- Validated false claims: 6
- Misleading: 5
- Unverifiable: 7
- Verified factual: 25
The February 13, 2026 AM Update from The Megyn Kelly Show Podcast reflects mixed factual reliability. While a substantial portion of reported figures, hearing exchanges, and procedural descriptions align with verifiable public records, the episode also includes several inaccurate and overstated claims. These issues cluster primarily around characterizations of enforcement outcomes and specific allegations raised during Senate testimony, creating uneven credibility across segments.
The most egregious problems involve definitive assertions tied to high-profile controversies, including numerical enforcement claims and fraud-related accusations that were presented without sufficient corroboration. In multiple instances, complex or disputed matters were framed in categorical terms. That framing, rather than the existence of disagreement itself, most directly affected the episode’s reliability.
Narratively, the program relies heavily on clipped exchanges and sharply edited confrontation moments from congressional hearings. This structure emphasizes tension and rhetorical conflict. While that format is not inherently misleading, it compresses nuance and foregrounds adversarial exchanges, which can amplify unverified or partially contextualized claims when not carefully qualified.
The inclusion of developing investigative stories, such as the Tucson missing person case and the El Paso airspace shutdown, adds breadth but also introduces reporting still in flux. In fast-moving situations, early descriptions often evolve as agencies clarify events. The episode’s credibility ultimately hinges on its stronger reporting segments outweighing its overstated or insufficiently supported claims.