Trump warns Jacob Frey he is ‘playing with fire’ as Tom Homan stresses progress with Tim Walz

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Wednesday, January 28, blasted Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over his refusal to enforce federal immigration laws, escalating tensions with Minnesota’s Democratic leadership even as his administration sought to strike a more conciliatory tone on the ground.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that he was “surprised” by Frey’s public stance after what he described as a “very good conversation” with the mayor.

“Surprisingly, Mayor Jacob Frey just stated that, ‘Minneapolis does not, and will not, enforce Federal Immigration Laws,’” Trump wrote. “Could somebody in his inner sanctum please explain that this statement is a very serious violation of the Law, and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE!”

Tom Homan calls talks with Tim Walz and Jacob Frey ‘productive’

The sharp rhetoric from the president contrasted with comments from his Border Czar Tom Homan, who struck a softer note following meetings with Minnesota Gov Tim Walz and Frey earlier in the day.

Homan said discussions with state and city leaders were constructive despite clear disagreements over federal immigration enforcement.

“We all agree that we need to support our law enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets,” Homan said in a post on X. “While we don’t agree on everything, these meetings were a productive starting point and I look forward to more conversations with key stakeholders in the days ahead.”

The meetings came after Trump pulled Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino from overseeing federal immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota, a decision that followed days of unrest after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Tim Walz pushes for pullback of federal forces

Following the talks, Walz’s office said that the governor reiterated his call for “impartial investigations” into recent shootings involving federal agents and urged a “swift, significant reduction in the number of federal forces in Minnesota.”

The governor also called for what his office described as “an end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota,” amid rising friction between the state and the Trump administration.

Walz additionally asked that state officials serve as the primary liaison with Homan’s team going forward.

Jacob Frey demands end to ‘Operation Metro Surge’

Mayor Frey echoed Walz’s concerns, saying that his “main ask is for Operation Metro Surge to end as quickly as possible.”

He warned that aggressive federal tactics risked undermining public safety, arguing that “public safety works best when it’s built on community trust, not tactics that create fear or division.”

Frey also doubled down on his position that Minneapolis would not take on the role of enforcing federal immigration laws, a stance that has put him directly at odds with the president, even as federal and local officials continue talks behind closed doors.