Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Responds to JD Vance's Visit and Federal Agent Deployment

Disagreement on Federal Agent Deployment

• 🎯 Mayor Frey asserts that the federal agents' actions, including spraying irritants and detaining individuals, do not constitute peace.
• 💡 He contrasts this with his approach of working directly with communities and strategically targeting individuals who have committed crimes.
• ⚠️ Frey criticizes the deployment of over 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents as an "occupation" with a "huge influx" and "no clear plan."

Allegations of Discrimination and Abuse

• ⚖️ The Mayor states that federal agents are arresting U.S. citizens and detaining people without cause, based on their race, specifically mentioning those who "look like they're Somali or they look like they are Latino."
• 🚫 He argues that actions like pulling citizens off the street or entering schools are not targeted and are discriminating based on race.
• 🚨 Frey highlights the arrest of Nikim Levy Armstrong as a "gross abuse of power" and calls for her immediate release.

Cooperation and City Ordinances

• 🤝 Frey confirms that Minneapolis has a long-standing separation ordinance preventing police from working with federal agencies on immigration enforcement, but they do cooperate on serious crime.
• 📞 He expresses a desire for improved communication, suggesting federal authorities should "give me a call" and that he did not receive an invitation to meet with Vice President Vance.
• 📌 The city's 911 system prioritizes safety over immigration status, ensuring everyone knows their safety is the primary concern.

Political Motivation vs. Public Safety

• 🎭 Frey questions whether JD Vance's visit and actions are a "political performance" or an effort to genuinely improve safety in Minneapolis.
• 🚩 He suggests the federal operation is more about "political retaliation" and "terrorizing people" than about safety or immigration.
• 🇺🇸 The Mayor calls for an end to the large-scale deployment and for the agents to be sent home, emphasizing that if the goal is to stop criminals, there's broad agreement.

Partnership and Crime Reduction

• 📈 Frey points to past successes in driving down crime through collaboration with federal agencies like the DEA, FBI, and U.S. Attorney's Office.
• 🎯 He reiterates that the focus should be on arresting murderers and violent criminals, regardless of their origin, and not on detaining individuals based on appearance or immigration status.
• ✅ The Mayor emphasizes that his officers' limited time should be spent investigating crime and preventing homicides, not hunting down innocent residents.