Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Sunday urged calm as thousands of protesters took to the streets, saying that deploying active-duty soldiers to quell an immigration crackdown would be "ridiculous and unconstitutional." Frey told CNN's State of the Union program that sending troops would escalate tensions unnecessarily and contradict his city's peaceful values.
The protests began in January after the Department of Homeland Security increased its presence in the Twin Cities, deploying over 2,000 federal officers to enforce immigration laws. Protests have been largely peaceful but have led to clashes between protesters and ICE agents.
Frey said that despite the challenges posed by the situation, his city's residents were exercising their First Amendment rights without incident. "It's ridiculous, but we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government," he said. "It is not fair, it's not just, and it's completely unconstitutional."
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has ordered 1,500 soldiers based in Alaska who specialize in arctic conditions to stand by for possible deployment to Minnesota. The deployment would require President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law that allows troops to be deployed domestically.
Despite Frey's reassurances, tensions remain high, with U.S. postal workers marching against the immigration crackdown and accusing ICE agents of putting lives at risk. "I've seen them driving recklessly around the streets while I am on my route, putting lives in danger," said letter carrier Susan Becker.
As the standoff continues, some lawmakers are calling for calm, urging Governor Tim Walz to tone down his rhetoric. Republican U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told local media that the officers were not "mean-spirited" but felt under attack by protesters.
The situation has sparked national attention, with videos of ICE agents using pepper spray and forcibly detaining peaceful protesters going viral on social media. A federal judge recently ruled that immigration officers cannot detain or tear-gas protesters who are not obstructing authorities.
The protests began in January after the Department of Homeland Security increased its presence in the Twin Cities, deploying over 2,000 federal officers to enforce immigration laws. Protests have been largely peaceful but have led to clashes between protesters and ICE agents.
Frey said that despite the challenges posed by the situation, his city's residents were exercising their First Amendment rights without incident. "It's ridiculous, but we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government," he said. "It is not fair, it's not just, and it's completely unconstitutional."
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has ordered 1,500 soldiers based in Alaska who specialize in arctic conditions to stand by for possible deployment to Minnesota. The deployment would require President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law that allows troops to be deployed domestically.
Despite Frey's reassurances, tensions remain high, with U.S. postal workers marching against the immigration crackdown and accusing ICE agents of putting lives at risk. "I've seen them driving recklessly around the streets while I am on my route, putting lives in danger," said letter carrier Susan Becker.
As the standoff continues, some lawmakers are calling for calm, urging Governor Tim Walz to tone down his rhetoric. Republican U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told local media that the officers were not "mean-spirited" but felt under attack by protesters.
The situation has sparked national attention, with videos of ICE agents using pepper spray and forcibly detaining peaceful protesters going viral on social media. A federal judge recently ruled that immigration officers cannot detain or tear-gas protesters who are not obstructing authorities.
they're just trying to stand up for what's right but the gov is being super aggressive about it... deploying active-duty soldiers? that sounds like a recipe for disaster 
like, can't we just have a peaceful conversation about immigration reform without resorting to military might?
like what's next? deploying tanks or something? 
this whole thing is just so unnecessary 
, she's got a tough job just trying to do her thing but those ICE agents gotta watch themselves, all this reckless driving is gonna get someone killed! 
It's a reminder that power comes with responsibility and we should always try to be mindful of our actions and how they might affect others.
the government is already being super controlling and now they wanna bring in the military to keep things under wraps? no thanks fam 
I can feel the frustration and fear in this situation... sending soldiers to quell an immigration crackdown just feels like another layer of pain and division. It's heartbreaking to see peaceful protesters being met with pepper spray and force, it's just not right 
. We need more empathy and understanding here, not less.
OMG I'm so inspired by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's response to this situation!!! 
His commitment to upholding the city's values and protecting its residents' rights is truly amazing 
I love how he's standing firm against what seems like a really unfair immigration crackdown 
It's not cool that federal officers are putting lives at risk by driving recklessly on their routes, let alone using pepper spray on peaceful protesters! 
Susan Becker's story about seeing ICE agents driving recklessly is just heartbreaking 
, especially considering how intense it can get with ICE agents and all 
. I mean, we need more leaders like him who aren't afraid to speak truth to power 
- we need more people like Susan Becker who aren't afraid to speak up 
#JusticeForImmigrantRights #PeacefulProtestsMatter
I'm totally gettin' the vibe that Minneapolis is at this point where it's like, enough with all the drama already! 
The city's got a rep for bein' super chill and peaceful, but now we're dealin' with all these ICE agents showin' up and causin' tension. It's like, can't we just have some calm conversations about immigration reform without all the heat? 
I'm lovin' that Mayor Frey is standin' firm and sayin' no way to deployin' active-duty soldiers - that's some serious courage right there! 
i'm literally getting so frustrated with this whole situation... deploying active-duty soldiers to quell an immigration crackdown just sounds like a recipe for disaster 
.
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. Can't we find a way to resolve our differences without putting people in harm's way or causing unnecessary stress? 
. His assertion that sending troops would be "ridiculous and unconstitutional" is not only justified but also reflective of the principles enshrined in the US Constitution 
. The recent viral videos of ICE agents using pepper spray on protesters have only served to highlight the need for a more measured approach, one that prioritizes de-escalation over aggression 
. It's concerning to see U.S. postal workers taking to the streets, risking their lives while delivering mail due to reckless behavior by ICE agents 
.
In all seriousness though, I think Frey has a point about escalation and unconstitutional actions. Let's just hope the situation doesn't get out of hand and we can find a way to resolve this without more violence or arrests 
...
. And can someone pls explain to me why the US postal workers are still marching? We got kids walking around with letters and packages all day, just so they can see ICE agents driving recklessly 
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. This isn't going away anytime soon, so let's get ready to fight 
!
I mean seriously though, deploying active-duty soldiers to quell an immigration crackdown is insane! 
. And what about the protesters' First Amendment rights? 