Trump Warns Minneapolis Mayor He Is ‘Playing With Fire’ as Immigration Crackdown Continues

BY MIRABEL ODETA

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday sharply warned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey that he was “playing with fire” for maintaining that local police would not help enforce federal immigration laws, a statement that renewed tensions just a day after the president said he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in the city.

The warning underscored mixed and often contradictory signals from the White House, as unrest in Minneapolis showed little sign of easing. Activists and legal observers said federal deportation operations under Trump’s so-called “Operation Metro Surge” had not slowed, though they appeared to become more targeted as the week progressed.

Minneapolis has been shaken for weeks by repeated confrontations between protesters and heavily armed immigration agents. The situation escalated further after two U.S. citizens were killed in separate encounters with federal officers — Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on Saturday — sparking nationwide outrage and drawing renewed scrutiny to the administration’s immigration tactics.

Demonstrations have since spread to cities both large and small across the country. Minneapolis entered the cultural spotlight on Wednesday when musician Bruce Springsteen released a protest song honoring Good and Pretti, reflecting how the unrest has resonated far beyond Minnesota.

Despite earlier signals of restraint, senior administration officials again struck a hardline tone. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that 16 people were arrested in Minnesota on Wednesday on allegations of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers. “Nothing will stop us from continuing to make arrests and enforce the law,” Bondi wrote, reinforcing the administration’s defiant stance.

Legal pressure has also mounted. A federal judge in Minneapolis said immigration authorities themselves were flouting the law by ignoring dozens of court orders during the enforcement surge. U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz cited at least 96 federal court orders he said had been violated in 74 separate cases this month alone.

“This list should give pause to anyone — no matter his or her political beliefs — who cares about the rule of law,” Schiltz wrote, adding that the scale of noncompliance appeared unprecedented for a federal agency. Although the judge canceled a scheduled contempt hearing after officials eventually complied with one order to release a wrongly detained Ecuadorean man, he made clear that the broader pattern was deeply troubling.

At the same time, the two immigration officers who fired on Pretti have been placed on administrative leave, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, describing the move as standard procedure while investigations continue.

The administration had suggested on Tuesday that it would recalibrate its approach. Border czar Tom Homan was dispatched to take control of the Minneapolis operation, replacing Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, whose aggressive tactics drew intense criticism, legal challenges, and political backlash.

A senior administration official said Homan’s arrival was meant to signal a shift toward more conventional, narrowly focused enforcement actions rather than the broad street sweeps that had characterized earlier operations. That shift appeared to be formalized in a newly issued internal directive instructing officers to limit interactions with protesters and avoid confrontational behavior that could further inflame tensions.

The guidance also directed agents to focus enforcement on immigrants with criminal charges or convictions, marking a departure from earlier practices that included questioning people at random about their immigration status in public places.

Observers on the ground said enforcement activity briefly slowed on Tuesday before resuming on Wednesday in a more deliberate and targeted fashion. Agents were seen arriving at specific homes and businesses in small convoys, knocking on doors and searching for particular individuals. When those individuals were not found, agents reportedly left without questioning bystanders, a noticeable change from previous weeks.

Among those arrested on Wednesday was Abdikadir Noor, a plaintiff in a civil lawsuit accusing immigration agents of using excessive force against protesters. A judge in that case had previously issued an order barring officers from arresting or using tear gas against peaceful demonstrators, though that restriction has since been lifted by an appeals court while the case continues.

Under growing political pressure, Trump had softened his rhetoric earlier this week after speaking with Mayor Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, both Democrats, following Pretti’s death. He pledged to work with local leaders to ease tensions. But his tone hardened again on Wednesday after Frey reiterated that Minneapolis police would not enforce federal immigration laws.

On social media, Trump criticized the mayor’s stance, writing that someone should explain to Frey that such statements were “a very serious violation of the Law,” adding that the mayor was “PLAYING WITH FIRE.” Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funding from states and cities with so-called sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with immigration authorities.

Frey responded by defending the city’s position, saying, “The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws.”

The death of Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, remains a flashpoint. Some administration officials initially accused him of planning to harm officers, citing a handgun he was carrying. However, video footage shows Pretti holding only a phone when agents forced him to the ground. The footage also shows an officer removing the gun from his waist moments before another agent shot him in the back while he was restrained, fueling further outrage and demands for accountability.