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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Blasts Federal Immigration Authorities Following Fatal Shooting
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, publicly denounced federal immigration authorities on Wednesday, telling them to “get the f*** out” of the city after a woman was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer. Mayor Frey has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s deportation policies.
Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that during an operation, rioters began obstructing ICE vehicles. The driver of one vehicle allegedly attempted to “weaponize her vehicle” against law enforcement officials, an act DHS described as “domestic terrorism.”
“Get the f*** out of Minneapolis,” Mayor Frey declared during a news conference. “We do not want you here.
Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite. People are being hurt, families are being ripped apart.”
Frey also dismissed the DHS statement claiming the shooting was in self-defense as “garbage.”
Mayor Frey’s History of Opposition to Immigration Enforcement
Mayor Frey recently secured his third term, overcoming challenger Omar Fateh. Following his re-election, he issued an executive order prohibiting the use of city property, such as parking lots, for immigration operations.
Last year, Frey reaffirmed his commitment to making Minneapolis a “safe haven” for undocumented immigrants. He previously assured residents that, in accordance with the city’s “separation ordinance,” Minneapolis police would not collect information regarding immigration status or arrest individuals solely for being in the country illegally.
Frey Faces Criticism and Past Heckling
Mayor Frey was sworn in for his third and final term this week. Reports from the Minnesota Star Tribune indicate he was heckled at his swearing-in ceremony by critics over the police’s handling of two domestic violence incidents.
This is not the first time Mayor Frey has faced public criticism, even from within his own political party. Following the death of George Floyd, Frey was booed out of a protest after reportedly declining to support calls to defund the Minneapolis Police Department. Demonstrators chanted, “Go home Jacob, go home,” and “Shame, shame, shame.”
In another instance, a video showed protest leaders questioning Frey about his stance on abolishing or defunding the police. At the time, he stated he was “coming to grips with [his] own brokenness in this situation” and pledged to reform “a systemic racist system.”