ICE agents now outnumber Minneapolis police officers 5-to-1, Mayor Jacob Frey reveals

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is waving a red flag as federal immigration enforcement tightens its grip on the city, warning that ICE agents now outnumber local police 5-to-1.

The blunt assessment comes as Minneapolis endures weeks of federal immigration activity and after a second shooting involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers set off protests and demands for federal agents to pack up and leave town.

Jacob Frey warns ICE presence fueling unrest in Minneapolis

As demonstrations turned violent, Frey urged protesters to stand down while simultaneously blasting federal agents for fueling the unrest.

“We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos,” Frey said, calling on residents to go home. 

Minnesota Gov Tim Walz posted on X, “I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets. But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace. Don’t give him what he wants.”

Even as police warned demonstrators not to escalate further and tear gas hung in the air, Frey slammed ICE and called the agency’s conduct “intolerable.”

“We have ICE agents throughout our city and throughout our state who, along with border control, are creating chaos,” he said.

Frey laid out the numbers in a separate post on X. “There’s 600 MPD (Minneapolis Police Department) officers working to keep our streets safe. Meanwhile, they’ve sent in 3,000 federal agents. America, this is not the path we can be on," he wrote.

Jacob Frey escalates feud with ICE over Minneapolis raids

The mayor’s past statements reflect his growing frustration with what he sees as unchecked federal overreach.

Following the controversial shooting of Minneapolis mom Renee Nicole Good, Frey declared, “We are demanding that ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand by our immigrant and refugee communities, know that you have our full support.”

He continued, “ICE, Get the f*** out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated purpose for being in this City is to create some kind of safety, but you are doing exactly the opposite.” Frey was unapologetic when questioned about the language later. “This notion of inflammatory comments. I mean, come on, guys. I dropped an f-bomb. They killed somebody,” he said during a briefing.

In an interview with CBS News, Frey argued that ICE’s presence had little to do with public safety. “We know that the underlying intention of ICE is not safety, it’s not reducing crime, what it is, is to cause chaos and disruption in our city," he alleged.

He added that Minneapolis was stuck in an “impossible situation,” with residents demanding local police confront ICE directly even as city resources remain stretched thin.

White House defends ICE amid Minneapolis protests

Despite backlash, the Trump administration appears unmoved. An estimated 3,000 federal agents have been deployed to Minneapolis as part of a broader immigration enforcement surge targeting undocumented individuals. This operation has intensified after a Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother, sparking protests across the city and nationwide. 

President Donald Trump addressed Good’s shooting in a Reuters interview, saying, “I don’t get into right or wrong. I know that it was a tough situation to be in. There was very little respect shown to the police, in this case, the ICE officers. It’s so sad to see on both sides,” he said.

Trump previously described Good as a “professional agitator” who “violently, wilfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer.” 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also signaled escalation, announcing plans to send “hundreds more” agents to ensure safe operations. She described Good’s actions as “domestic t*rrorism,” saying she “weaponized” her car.

The White House defended ICE’s mission on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, praising its agents for “valiantly” defending "our sovereignty and communities.