Minneapolis Mayor Calls for Halt to Immigration Enforcement

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged the federal government on Wednesday to stop immigration enforcement operations in the city, following a tragic shooting involving federal agents.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a 37-year-old woman during an operation. Frey criticized the Trump administration for “stoking chaos” and insisted that ICE should withdraw from Minneapolis.

“This moment has been a fear of ours since ICE first came to Minneapolis,” Frey expressed during a press conference. “It’s not just an internal concern; we’ve been discussing it.”

He declared, “They are not here to provide security to this city. What they are doing is not ensuring safety for America. Instead, they’re creating confusion and mistrust. They’re breaking apart families, causing chaos in our streets, and, in this instance, resulting in a tragic death. They seem to be trying to frame this as an act of self-defense, but having seen the video myself, I can tell you—that’s unacceptable. This was an agent recklessly using his authority, and it led to a loss of life.”

Local news outlet Fox 9 reported that multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene after the shooting. Frey made his call to ICE during this press briefing.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, defended the actions taken by ICE. “ICE officers were conducting a targeted operation when a crowd began to interfere. One individual in the crowd had a weapon and attempted to harm a law enforcement officer. This is an act of domestic terrorism,” she stated. “An ICE officer, fearing for his life and those of his colleagues, fired a defensive shot, which resulted in the alleged assailant being struck and subsequently dying. The injured ICE officer is expected to recover fully.”

Frey expressed a clear message to ICE, stating, “Leave Minneapolis. Your claim of providing safety is doing the opposite. People are suffering. Families are being torn apart. Long-time Minneapolis residents, who have greatly contributed to our community, are living in fear, and now we are facing a death.”