Topline
President Donald Trump accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday of committing a “serious violation of the Law” by saying the city wouldn’t enforce federal immigration laws—but Supreme Court precedent is on the Minnesota official’s side.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks during a press conference on January 22 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Key Facts
Trump responded on Truth Social to comments Frey made on social media Tuesday, as the mayor said he had spoken with Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan and “made it clear that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws.”
Trump said someone in Frey’s “inner sanctum” should tell the mayor “this statement is a very serious violation of the Law, and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE!”
Legal experts pushed back on Trump’s comments Wednesday, noting courts have repeatedly ruled that states and localities are not compelled to enforce federal immigration laws.
While federal law supersedes state laws on immigration—meaning states or cities can’t impose policies that would prevent deportations or give people a pathway to citizenship—courts have interpreted the Constitution to broadly prohibit the federal government from forcing states and cities to actively enforce federal law.
The Supreme Court ruled in the 1997 case Printz v. U.S. that the federal government can’t force state or local officers to enforce federal law, with conservative Justice Antonin Scalia writing for the court that the federal government “may neither issue directives requiring the States to address particular problems, nor command the States’ officers … to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program.”
Frey responded to Trump’s comments on X, writing Wednesday, “The job of [Minneapolis’] police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed[eral] immigration laws.”
Chief Critic
Frey said Wednesday he wanted police officers in Minneapolis to be “preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to MPLS & is from Ecuador.” The mayor likened his priorities to a policy Trump ally Rudy Giuliani had when serving as mayor of New York City and added, “Everyone should feel safe calling 911.”
What To Watch For
It’s unclear what Trump meant Wednesday when he suggested Frey was “PLAYING WITH FIRE,” and how the president’s continued deployment of thousands of federal agents to Minnesota will play out. Trump previously suggested Tuesday he intended to “deescalate a little bit” in the state amid the public outcry over ICE operations in Minnesota, as tensions have escalated following the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents.
Surprising Fact
Politico noted Wednesday that Trump’s comments on Frey could hurt his administration’s argument in an ongoing court case over the president’s “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota. A federal judge is now deliberating on whether to force the government to pull its surge of ICE agents out of the state while litigation moves forward. During a hearing in the case on Monday, Judge Katherine Menendez questioned whether the influx of federal agents into Minnesota was “retribution” for the Democratic-led state not going along with the Trump administration’s broader agenda, pointing to a recent letter Attorney General Pam Bondi sent the state making various policy demands amid the immigration controversy. Menendez has asked for further information from the Trump administration on the motives behind its ICE push in Minnesota, and Trump’s suggestion that Frey could be “playing with fire” by opposing him could further persuade the judge that the Trump administration is trying to punish state and local officials for not agreeing with its policies.
Key Background
Minnesota has become a flashpoint for Trump’s hardline immigration agenda in recent weeks, as the surge of approximately 3,000 federal agents into the Democratic-led Twin Cities has sparked widespread protests and resulted in the shooting deaths of Pretti and Renee Good by ICE agents. Trump’s comments on Frey came after the president has signaled more cooperation with Minnesota’s Democratic state and local leaders in recent days, amid a widespread pushback against Pretti’s death that’s come even from people within his own party. Trump said Monday he spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the two “seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” before speaking on the phone Tuesday with Frey. Trump described his call with Frey as being “very good” and claimed “lots of progress is being made,” while the mayor said the “president agreed that the present situation cannot continue” and some federal agents would begin leaving on Wednesday.
Further Reading
