Jacob Frey says Minneapolis was 'never going to agree' to federal immigration enforcement
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is standing his ground against President Donald Trump, insisting that he still has no plans to enforce federal immigration laws in the city.
Even after being warned by Trump that he is "playing with fire," Frey told The New York Times that he refuses to let local police do the work of federal agents.
Jacob Frey rejects federal immigration laws
Mayor Jacob Frey made it clear that Minneapolis was "never going to agree" to help with federal immigration enforcement because he believes it simply isn't the city's responsibility.
"We were never going to agree, and we have not agreed, to enforce federal immigration law. Why? First off, it’s not our job," Frey asserted.
Frey argued that his officers should be busy stopping carjackings and murders rather than doing "somebody else's" work.
"I want our police officers doing the important work of keeping Minneapolis residents safe, responding to 911 calls, stopping carjackings, and preventing murders. The work of a police officer in a major city," the mayor explained.
Jacob Frey rejects hunting down residents
Frey explained that he does not want his officers "hunting down" people who are simply living their lives and working hard.
He gave an example of a father from Ecuador taking his children to daycare, stating, "I don’t want them spending a single minute hunting down a father that just dropped his kids off at daycare who’s about to go work a 12-hour shift, who happens to be from Ecuador."
The mayor argued that this is common sense, not a radical idea, noting that even Rudy Giuliani used similar rules in New York so that everyone would feel safe calling the police.
"If you see a crime, call 911. Rudy Giuliani, the radical-leftist Rudy, recognized that when he was mayor," Frey said.
Jacob Frey decries massive federal presence
The mayor described the massive number of federal agents in his city as "ridiculous" and compared the situation to an "invasion."
He pointed out that while Minneapolis only has 600 of its own officers, there are "3,000 and 4,000 federal agents" currently there.
Frey mentioned that the Trump administration has promised to lower these numbers and change how they operate.
"So, not these marauding gangs of guys just walking down the street indiscriminately picking people up, but having more of a targeted operation," he told the Times.
He concluded by saying, "This is not about ICE doing regular ICE stuff. What we have seen feels like an invasion."
