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During a segment on CNN’s “The Arena” on Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed the Trump administration’s recent decision to withdraw 700 immigration officers from Minnesota. Although this move appears to signal a reduction in enforcement, Frey argued that it does not constitute true de-escalation.
Host Kasie Hunt began the discussion by asking Mayor Frey what his response would be to President Trump’s assertion that a softer approach is necessary. Frey acknowledged that while President Trump is correct in recognizing the need for a gentler strategy, the current federal actions do not reflect this. “The reduction of both federal agents and the addition of body cameras is a positive step,” Frey noted. However, he emphasized, “The lingering presence of 2,000 federal agents in a city with only 600 police officers is far from de-escalation. Operation Metro Surge must conclude for us to restore safety and rejuvenate small local businesses. This depends crucially on ICE leaving our city, and that remains our firm stance.”
Continuing the conversation, Hunt inquired about the significance of the 700 agents departing. Frey conceded that removing some agents does have a deescalatory effect. Yet, he highlighted the disproportionate number of agents that remain. “Having 2,000 agents still here, about 20 times the number we had before Operation Metro Surge, is not a real de-escalation,” Frey asserted. He pointed out that ICE has operated in Minneapolis for decades, including during the Trump administration, but his concern lies with the manner of their operations. Frey criticized the indiscriminate detentions by ICE, targeting Latino and Somali residents without evidence of criminal activity. “The frustration stems from the treatment of our community members,” he concluded.
Hunt said, “Sir, how would you characterize. You say it’s not a de-escalation. What is it? What does it mean that 700 of these agents are leaving?”
Frey said, “Well, obviously, there is a deescalatory element if you are decreasing the number of agents that are on the street. That being said, when you have 2000 agents that are still here, approximately 20 times that which we had prior to Operation Metro Surge, that relatively speaking, no, is not a de-escalation. And so we need to understand where we have been, and then where we were just a couple of months ago, you know, look, we’ve had ICE operate in our city for decades. We’ve had ICE operate in our city even during a Trump administration. And this is not about ICE doing normal ICE stuff. The objection is to ice pulling people off the street indiscriminately. It’s these roving bands that were walking through Minneapolis and targeting both Latino and Somali people, without regard for whether any crime had been committed at all. The frustration, of course, comes in the way and the how people in our city have been treated.”
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