Mayor of Minneapolis to Trump, ‘Stop This Operation, Safety Will Return’

Minneapolis Mayor Addresses Fatal Shooting by Border Patrol

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey held a news conference on Saturday shortly after a man was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents in the city’s south side. While his remarks did little to comfort local residents, he issued a clear ultimatum to President Donald J. Trump: “If immigration control operations are stopped, the safety of the city will be restored.”

Alongside Frey were Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara and Rachel Thayer, the city’s emergency management director. They readily admitted to having limited details on the shooting but quickly pointed fingers at the federal agents involved in the incident early Saturday morning.

Frey began his statement with a troubling account, mentioning watching a video showing several masked agents allegedly beating and shooting a voter, although he did not specify that the suspects had approached the agents carrying a 9mm handgun. He questioned the justification for such actions, asking, “How many more residents, how many more Americans do we need to kill or seriously injure for this operation to end?”

Instead of advising voters to steer clear of armed law enforcement, Frey called for increased participation in protests. He urged, “To everyone listening, stand with Minneapolis, stand with America. Understand that your children will ask whose side you were on and your grandchildren will ask you what you did to prevent this from happening again.”

Frey redirected the blame for the recent violent anti-ICE protests away from Minnesota lawmakers, critiquing the Trump administration directly. He questioned, “What the hell are you accomplishing? If the goal is to achieve peace and security, this is doing the exact opposite.”

In closing, Frey seemed to issue a pressing ultimatum to the president, suggesting that peace wouldn’t return until Trump’s Operation Metro Surge efforts come to an end. “To President Trump, it’s time to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis first, put America first in this moment. Let’s achieve peace. Let’s end this operation. Our city will be returned, and our security will be restored,” he stated.

Following the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement indicating that the armed suspect had approached Border Patrol agents engaged in targeted immigration enforcement against individuals wanted for violent assaults.

According to the statement, agents attempted to disarm the suspect, who reportedly resisted violently. An officer, fearing for his life and that of his colleagues, then used his weapon.