The Lincoln Project

ICE vs. Minnesota Nice: Mayor Frey's Minneapolis Resistance

Feb 3, 2026
Jacob Frey, mayor of Minneapolis and longtime community leader, discusses the surge of ICE and DHS operations in the city. He describes federal tactics, community-organized resistance and mass protests. He talks about impacts on public safety, questions of accountability, and how local solidarity shaped responses.
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INSIGHT

Federal Influx Overwhelms Local Capacity

  • Jacob Frey describes Minneapolis as facing a near‑military influx of federal agents overwhelming local capacity.
  • He contrasts roughly 600 local officers to 3,000–4,000 federal agents and calls it a mass invasion that strains city operations.
ANECDOTE

Citizens Detained During Operations

  • Reported incidents include U.S. citizens and off‑duty officers being detained or boxed in by federal agents.
  • One off‑duty officer said agents drew guns and knocked her phone away when she tried to record them.
INSIGHT

Individual Guilt, Not Collective Blame

  • Frey acknowledges fraud in childcare programs but rejects blaming entire communities for individual crimes.
  • He stresses holding individuals accountable while protecting communities from collective guilt.
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