adminMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey went on Fox & Friends this week to blast the federal presence in his city, calling recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations “unconstitutional conduct” while insisting the mass protests in the streets have been peaceful. Frey told the network he does not support abolishing ICE but lambasted the Trump administration’s tactics and blamed federal agents for sowing chaos across neighborhoods. His remarks underscore the tense standoff between city leaders and federal law enforcement that has become theater for national politics.
The sharp rhetoric follows the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good during an ICE operation, an incident that ignited demonstrations and fierce debate over the rules of engagement for federal agents. City officials and many on the left reject the federal self-defense narrative and have demanded transparency, while federal authorities maintain the agent’s account and have defended the surge of personnel. The dispute has pushed Minneapolis into a national showdown over who gets to police the city — local officials playing politics or the federal government enforcing immigration law.
Mayor Frey’s public posture — demanding ICE “leave the city” in a formal city statement — amounts to inviting a constitutional collision rather than calming a volatile situation. His plea for protest “peacefulness” rings hollow when elected leaders turn a blind eye to people obstructing lawful federal operations and cheering on resistance to federal authority. Leadership means protecting all residents, not coaching crowds to resist agents doing their jobs.
Meanwhile, scenes from the protests have included dangerous interference with federal enforcement: video shows individuals blocking an ICE operation and surrounding agents, forcing physical confrontations and arrests as officers worked to regain control. Those who cheer on obstructionist tactics should consider the consequences when the next confrontation results in injury or worse; backing street-level chaos is not a policy, it’s a choice to undermine public safety. Federal agents are there to enforce law, not to be placated by political theater.
The fallout has even spread into the Department of Justice, with reports of resignations and public fury over how investigations are being handled, fueling claims that the entire episode is being politicized from Washington down. If justice is to be served, it must be done through full, transparent investigations — not through preemptive narratives or selective leaks that fit a political storyline. Americans deserve facts and due process, not talking points and performative outrage.
Patriotic Americans who care about law and order should be alarmed by leaders who cheer on obstruction and then cry victim when violence erupts. If Minneapolis wants to be a safe city for families and businesses, its elected officials must stop playing to the cameras and start cooperating with investigations and enforcement when warranted. Support for those who put their lives on the line to uphold the law is not a partisan luxury — it is a necessity for the rule of law and for the safety of every community.
