Minneapolis Mayor Frey refuses to walk back ‘get the f— out’ message to ICE
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is refusing to retract his calls for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to “get the f— out” of the city as violent protests continue for a second week. The backlash comes as the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good draws national attention to Minnesota.
“I stand by exactly what I said,” Frey said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.”
His comments come as federal agents continue immigration operations across Minneapolis, while protests have led to repeated confrontations between demonstrators and federal authorities.
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Frey has faced criticism from Republican leaders for his rhetoric in the hours after Good’s death last week. Speaking at a press conference following the shooting, Frey said he believed the government was trying to “spin this as an action of self-defense.”
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“When the conclusion is drawn by the government that’s actually doing the investigation itself, it’s much harder to trust the investigation,” Frey told Fox News’ Griff Jenkins.
“We need to make sure that the American people can earn and gain that trust. And yes, I think there’s deep concerns with having exclusively the FBI and not our Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at the state level conducting the investigation itself,” he added.
The FBI has asserted authority over the investigation, but Minnesota officials say they will conduct their own inquiry into Good’s death. Multiple videos of the shooting have been released online, fueling a national debate over whether the officer involved was justified in using deadly force.
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The Department of Homeland Security said Good was attempting to “weaponize her vehicle” against federal agents. Minnesota officials have disputed that claim and are calling for an independent investigation into her death.
Frey also rejected claims that Minneapolis refuses to cooperate with ICE, saying the city will work with federal authorities in certain situations.
“We are willing to work with people when it’s about murder and when it’s about crime. But the truth is that this ain’t about that,” Frey said.
The mayor added that he does “not support” abolishing ICE but strongly opposes how the Trump administration is handling immigration enforcement operations, arguing the current approach has increased “chaos” in the city.
“If you commit a crime, and you are a problem on the streets of the city of Minneapolis, that has made us less safe. What I am saying is that a lot of the people that ICE is picking up right now in our city are not a problem for Minneapolis,” he said.
“We care deeply about our immigrant population. We care deeply about everybody in our city. And what we’re seeing right now is the kind of chaos that is being caused by this massive influx of ICE agents isn’t helpful.”
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