Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday joined President Donald Trump in criticizing Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over his continued refusal to enforce federal immigration laws in his city.
"The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws," Frey wrote in a post on X.
"I want them preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to MPLS [Minneapolis] & is from Ecuador," Frey added. "Everyone should feel safe calling 911."
Vance hit back on social media.
"How about federal law enforcement," Vance wrote in a post on X. "Should they feel safe calling 911?" he added.
"Right now, they don't, because you've told your police officers not to help them."
Earlier in the day, Trump said the Minneapolis mayor was "playing with fire."
"Surprisingly, Mayor Jacob Frey just stated that, 'Minneapolis does not, and will not, enforce Federal Immigration Laws,'" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
"This is after having had a very good conversation with him," he continued.
"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!"
Trump's rebuke came one day after Frey posted on X rejecting some terms discussed with border czar Tom Homan during calls with state and city leaders about Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
"I also made it clear that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, and that we will remain focused on keeping our neighbors and streets safe," Frey concluded in a three-post X thread Tuesday night.
"City leaders will continue to stay in conversation with Mr. Homan and his team."
A person who attended a meeting with Homan and Minnesota leadership told The Wall Street Journal he came across as a law enforcement figure who wanted to see less chaos in the streets.
Homan made no specific promises but seemed eager to turn down the heat, the person added.
Frey's office told the Journal it was a "productive conversation" and said Frey asked that the federal government's Operation Metro Surge be ended as quickly as possible.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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