Minneapolis’s radical Democrat Mayor Jacob Frey escalated his rhetoric against President Donald Trump’s administration, declaring the increased presence of federal immigration agents in the city an “occupying force.”
Frey’s agitating tactics come even as Minneapolis reels from days of left-wing political violence and assaults tied to anti-ICE unrest.
“We are doing the work to keep people safe in our city, and specifically, it is our local police officers,” Frey told CBS News host Margaret Brennan.
“It is the state of Minnesota and our governor.
“We are doing everything possible to keep the peace, notwithstanding this occupying force that has quite literally invaded our city.”
The comments came just hours after a string of violent incidents across the Twin Cities region targeting right-wing activists, conservative counterprotesters, and individuals believed, often incorrectly, to be affiliated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mob Violence Follows Anti-ICE Protests
In one incident, a group of left-wing activists assaulted a man wearing a camouflage jacket after accusing him of being an ICE agent.
The attackers later discovered the man was a fellow anti-ICE activist, but only after throwing him to the ground and beating him.
The most serious episode involved Jake Lang, a controversial right-wing activist, who was beaten and allegedly stabbed while staging a provocative rally outside Minneapolis City Hall.
Lang suffered head injuries that required staples after being struck with a wooden flagpole.
He later said a protective chest plate likely saved his life from the stabbing.
Despite the violence, Frey continued to describe the demonstrations as “peaceful” and attempted to pin responsibility for the unrest on the federal government.
“I mean, we’ve got 600 cops in the city of Minneapolis, and we’re talking about 3,000 plus ICE agents and border control that have come in,” Frey told CBS News.
“They’re not making our city safer.”
Claims of Being “At War” with Federal Government
Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have repeatedly suggested that Minnesota is effectively “at war” with the federal government, while encouraging protesters to take to the streets.
The mayor has also claimed that Minneapolis police officers could arrest federal immigration agents for perceived offenses.
Following an ICE-involved shooting of a Venezuelan illegal alien who allegedly participated in a group attack on an agent with a shovel, Frey said residents were urging police to confront ICE directly.
“And we’re in a position right now where we have residents that are asking the very limited number of police officers that we have to fight ICE agents on the street, to stand by their neighbors,” Frey said—remarks that prompted a visibly puzzled reaction from Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
“We cannot be at a place right now in America where we have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another,” Frey continued.
“Why are we put in this position?
“We’re put in this position because we have approximately 600 police officers in Minneapolis… and there are approximately 3,000 ICE agents in the area.”
DOJ Investigation Looms
On Friday, it was revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had opened a criminal investigation into both Frey and Walz over potential obstruction of federal immigration enforcement.
The mayor attempted to deflect the revelation by claiming he was being targeted over his political views, even as federal officials argue that interference with lawful ICE operations and rhetoric encouraging confrontation may cross legal lines.
The clash underscores a growing confrontation between Democrat-led city and state officials and the Trump administration, as federal authorities move to enforce immigration law amid rising disorder and open hostility from local leaders.
READ MORE – Democrats Planning to Force Government Shutdown Over ICE Funding
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