Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticizes Trump admin for excluding local officials in ICE inquiry

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Friday, January 9, criticized the Trump administration for excluding local officials from the federal investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer earlier this week. 

Speaking at a news conference, Frey called for greater transparency and collaboration between federal and local authorities. He warned that limiting access to the investigative process risks undermining public trust. 

“This is not a time to hide from the facts,” Frey said. “The fact that Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice and this presidential administration have already come to a conclusion about those facts is deeply concerning, if you got nothing to hide from, then don't hide from it. Include local experts in the process." 

Frey argued that accountability was essential when laws and standards were in place. “There are laws that are around this... they should have no concern about having a full and transparent investigation here,” he said.

Jacob Frey disputes claims of immunity and federal accounts 

Frey also sharply criticized comments made by Vice President JD Vance, who said that the ICE officer involved in the shooting was “protected by absolute immunity.”

Vance made the remarks on Thursday at the White House press briefing, suggesting that any attempt by Minnesota prosecutors to pursue charges would fail.

Frey described the comments as “pretty bizarre,” saying that they mis-characterized the law and contributed to public skepticism.

"He (Vance) also asserted that because you work at the federal government, that you somehow have absolute immunity from committing crimes," Frey said. "That's not true in any law school in America, whether it's Yale or Villanova or anywhere else."

Legal experts echoed that assessment. 

“The idea that a federal agent has absolute immunity for crimes they commit on the job is absolutely ridiculous,” said Michael JZ Mannheimer, a constitutional law expert at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P Chase College of Law.

The mayor also disputed statements from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said that the ICE agent, Jonathan Ross, was treated at a hospital following the shooting.

“The ICE agent walked away with a hip injury that he might as well have gotten from closing a refrigerator door with his hips,” Frey said.

“He was not injured.” He added. “No, he was not run over. He walked out of there with a hop in his step.”

Jacob Frey defends his remarks and raises safety concerns

Frey also addressed criticism over his use of an expletive earlier this week, when he told ICE to “get the f--- out of Minneapolis.”

Defending his remarks, Frey said, “I dropped an f-bomb. They killed somebody. Which one of those is more inflammatory? I’m going with the killing somebody.”

He said that he stood by all of his comments from that appearance, including calling the Trump administration’s assertion that the shooting was an act of self-defense “bulls---.”

Frey further argued that ICE operations have negatively affected public safety in Minneapolis.

“Fifty percent of the shootings that have happened thus far in Minneapolis this year have been ICE,” he said. “In other words, we’ve only had two shootings. One of them has been ICE.”

“We are a safe city,” Frey added. “ICE is making us less so.”