Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s on-air confession that his city “will not cooperate with ICE or any federal agency around immigration enforcement work” is the kind of blunt admission citizens deserve to hear — and a political gift conservatives should exploit. When asked by NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo whether Minneapolis would help federal agents target violent criminals, Frey said flatly that he won’t cooperate and prefers his police focus on carjackings and 911 response instead of enforcing federal immigration laws. That candidness lays bare the real-world consequences of sanctuary politics: a city government choosing ideology over public safety.
This stand-off didn’t arise in a vacuum — the federal government responded by launching Operation Metro Surge, sending thousands of DHS, ICE, and HSI personnel into the Twin Cities to arrest dangerous criminal aliens and reclaim law and order. Federal officials say the operation represents one of the largest immigration enforcement efforts anywhere in recent memory, deployed because local officials refused to turn over detainees or assist in identifying violent offenders. For hardworking Minnesotans who see crime spikes and repeat offenders walking free, that federal presence was a direct reaction to the vacuum left by Democratic mayors and prosecutors.
Local leaders fought back in court, claiming the surge is unconstitutional and that federal agents are terrorizing communities rather than protecting them. Attorney General Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul filed suit to halt the operation, accusing the federal government of overreach and framing the enforcement as political retribution. That legal play looks less like principled defense of civil liberties and more like a political shield to cover up local failures to keep dangerous people behind bars.
Tensions spilled into the streets after a number of confrontations between federal agents and protesters; Minneapolis has seen disturbing episodes, including the tragic killing of Renee Good and other violent clashes that intensified public alarm. Whatever the circumstances surrounding those deaths, the result was predictable: outrage amplified partisan narratives and gave local politicians cover to double down on noncooperation. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens are left wondering who will protect their families if their mayor refuses to work with federal partners to remove violent criminals.
Now the Justice Department has served grand jury subpoenas to Gov. Tim Walz, Mayor Frey, Attorney General Ellison and other Minnesota officials as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed federal immigration enforcement. That development should make any law-and-order conservative nod in grim satisfaction — accountability starts when elected officials put politics ahead of public safety. If local leaders coordinated to impede federal arrests, that’s not civil disobedience; it’s a dereliction of duty that deserves scrutiny.
Federal officials have also publicly demanded that local authorities hand over more than a thousand detainees currently sitting in city jails and boast of thousands of criminal aliens already removed during the operation. The message from DHS was straightforward: cooperate or expect continued federal action to protect American communities. Mayors who signal they won’t cooperate should not be surprised when the federal government takes charge; our federal system exists to step in when local governments fail.
Conservatives should use this moment to press the case for common-sense immigration enforcement and for political accountability in sanctuary cities. Praise is due to federal agents doing the dangerous work local politicians refuse to do, and full-throated criticism should be aimed at mayors who prioritize political theater over neighborhood safety. If Minneapolis wants to be taken seriously about public safety, its leaders should stop playing partisan games, start handing over dangerous criminals, and stop using human beings as props in woke messaging.
