Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday joined President Donald Trump in calling out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for refusing to enforce federal immigration laws, a stance that has quickly turned into a public showdown over law enforcement and public safety.
Frey sparked the exchange with a post on X declaring, “The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws.” He added that he wants officers “preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to MPLS & is from Ecuador,” and insisted that “everyone should feel safe calling 911.” A touching sentiment — except for the part where federal law enforcement apparently doesn’t count.
Vance fired back on social media with a pointed question: “How about federal law enforcement? Should they feel safe calling 911?” He added that right now, they don’t, because Frey has instructed city police not to assist them. In other words, some officers are protected, and others are left to fend for themselves. Interesting strategy.
Earlier in the day, Trump delivered his own rebuke, saying the Minneapolis mayor was “playing with fire.” In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “Surprisingly, Mayor Jacob Frey just stated that, ‘Minneapolis does not, and will not, enforce Federal Immigration Laws.’ This is after having had a very good conversation with him.” Trump warned that Frey’s statement was “a very serious violation of the Law” and emphasized that the mayor is “PLAYING WITH FIRE.”
The dispute follows Frey’s comments after discussions with border czar Tom Homan and state and city leaders regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. In a three-post thread Tuesday night, Frey reiterated that Minneapolis would not enforce federal immigration laws and would stay focused on “keeping our neighbors and streets safe,” while also saying city leaders would continue talks with Homan and his team.
According to someone who attended a meeting between Homan and Minnesota leadership, Homan came across as a law enforcement figure seeking less chaos in the streets. He reportedly made no specific promises but appeared interested in calming tensions. Frey’s office later described the meeting as “productive” and said the mayor requested that Operation Metro Surge be ended as quickly as possible.
The message from Trump and Vance is clear: federal agents deserve the same safety and cooperation as local police, and immigration law is not optional just because it’s politically inconvenient. With Washington pushing for accountability and order, the administration is signaling that enforcement will continue — and that restoring respect for the law is still very much on the agenda.
