Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are to blame for escalating tensions around federal immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis.
Local leaders also are encouraging protesters to interfere with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, former Rep. Pete King said on Newsmax Sunday.
"People have the right to protest, but ICE is carrying out lawful activity, and it's the obligation of the local governments to cooperate, to at least maintain law and order," the New York Republican told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend."
King said demonstrations are permissible, but he drew a line at conduct that disrupts enforcement actions.
"You can demonstrate as much as you want as loudly as you want. You cannot interfere with a law enforcement operation," King said. "If you get in the way of an ICE operation, then you are guilty of impeding an investigation."
The police in Minneapolis, he added, have a "contractual agreement" with ICE to keep the protesters away from the immigration agents, but "the governor and the mayor are urging them on."
Former Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston said he believes a federal case could move forward, citing "18 U.S. Code Section 372" and arguing officials cannot conspire to deny federal law enforcement from doing its duty "by force" or "by intimidation."
"Basically, they're telling the demonstrators, Hey, ICE is the enemy. ICE is lawless. You're doing the Lord's work when you resist. So continue to resist," Kingston said. "And I think that that is denying law enforcement from performing their duty. And that's against the law."
King and Kingston also discussed the situation with Venezuela after President Donald Trump's meeting last week with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal.
King praised Machado and said the public meeting signaled support.
"There's no more appropriate leader for Venezuela than Machado," King said, describing her as being "extremely courageous and brave."
"The fact that President Donald Trump is meeting with her, that it's being publicized, shows that she is certainly, if nothing else, a government waiting to happen," he added.
However, he acknowledged that having Machado running the Venezuelan government may be difficult because the "infrastructure" remains there after the United States arrested President Nicholas Maduro and removed him to the United States.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.