President Donald Trump sharply criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey after the mayor reiterated his city’s refusal to enforce federal immigration law despite mediation efforts by border czar Tom Homan.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump warned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Jan. 28 that he is “playing with fire” by continuing to reject cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, escalating a public dispute that has unfolded amid unrest and heightened federal operations in Minnesota.
Trump issued the warning in a social media post responding to a statement Frey released the previous day following a meeting with border czar Tom Homan, whom Trump had dispatched to Minneapolis in an effort to foster cooperation between local officials and federal immigration authorities.
In a Jan. 27 message on X, Frey said that while his conversation with Homan was productive, he “made it clear that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws.” Trump said that position contradicted the substance of the meeting.
“This is after having had a very good conversation with [Homan],” Trump wrote. “Could somebody in his inner sanctum please explain that this statement is a very serious violation of the Law, and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE!”
Frey responded shortly afterward, doubling down on the city’s stance. In a Jan. 28 post, he wrote that local police should focus on public safety rather than immigration enforcement.
“The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws,” Frey said. “I want them preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to Minneapolis & is from Ecuador. Everyone should feel safe calling 911.”
Homan’s intervention in Minnesota follows two controversial fatal shootings involving federal officers in Minneapolis. On Jan. 7, ICE agents fatally shot Renee Good, and on Jan. 24, Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens, during confrontations tied to federal immigration operations.
The Pretti shooting occurred two days after Vice President JD Vance traveled to Minneapolis to meet with community leaders and federal officers, during which he called on state and local officials to cooperate with federal enforcement efforts.
Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have repeatedly voiced opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy, even as thousands of federal officers from ICE and CBP have been deployed under “Operation Metro Surge.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said earlier this month that agents arrested at least 3,000 criminal illegal immigrants during a six-week period in Minnesota. In total, she said, more than 10,000 criminal illegal immigrants have been apprehended in the state since Trump began his second presidency in January 2025 and launched his promised immigration crackdown.
Vance has said arrest totals in other states have been higher, attributing the disparity to resistance from Minnesota officials. He and Trump have also suggested that ongoing protests are intended to distract from a broader investigation into systemic welfare fraud in the state.
Federal officials have said that neither Good nor Pretti was participating in organized protests at the time of their deaths. Instead, both were present at scenes where agents were attempting to arrest specific illegal immigrants with criminal histories. Investigators are now examining online networks of anti-enforcement activists who are alleged to have coordinated disruptions of federal operations.
The shootings further inflamed tensions in Minneapolis, with the Pretti incident prompting calls from activists and local leaders for Noem’s removal. On Jan. 27, Trump told reporters that Noem should not resign and said she is “doing a very good job.”
Frey’s Jan. 28 comments expanded on Minneapolis’ longstanding policy of non-cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He compared the approach to a so-called “sanctuary city” framework associated with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump ally.
Federal officials note that New York’s policy predates Giuliani’s tenure and was in place by at least 1989, a point cited in a federal lawsuit filed against New York City last year. The federal government has also filed suit against Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, along with other jurisdictions accused of adopting policies designed to shield illegal immigrants from federal enforcement.
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