Minneapolis Mayor Addresses Protests Following Shooting Incident
In a recent interview with a morning talk show, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey emphasized that the demonstrations occurring in the city after the shooting death of Renee Good have remained “peaceful.” He stated, “Probably tens of thousands of people have been peacefully protesting in the streets,” and he noted their commitment to advocating for their community.
Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman, was shot during an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last Wednesday. The incident sparked protests in Minneapolis and around the country, leading local officials, including Mayor Frey, to condemn the actions of the officers involved. In contrast, federal officials, including those from the Trump administration, defended ICE’s actions, claiming the agents acted in self-defense and referred to Good’s behavior as “domestic terrorism.” This self-defense argument has been contested by several Democratic lawmakers.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Mayor Frey made it clear he is not in favor of abolishing ICE, although Minnesota has initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding heightened immigration enforcement. “I do not support abolishing ICE,” he remarked, stating, “But I absolutely disagree with the way this administration treats us.”
Mayor Frey expressed concerns about the current level of federal agency presence in the city, describing it as excessive compared to Minneapolis’s own police force. “Currently, we have approximately 3,000 federal ICE agents in our city between ICE and Border Patrol,” he explained, pointing out that the city only has around 600 police officers.
He added that the pressure on the city is increasing due to this situation. The mayor also accused ICE of what he termed “unconstitutional conduct,” linking it back to the aggressive immigration policies of the Trump administration.
“ICE is not new, and the city’s segregation ordinance is not new,” Frey noted. “ICE has been around for decades, and so have our separation laws. What’s new? What’s new is the Trump administration’s current approach.”
