Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is responding to the Trump administration's announcement that it is drawing down federal immigration agents in Minnesota much in the way you'd expect.
During a recent interview with KTSP, Frey said the planned removal of officers was "not enough" and insisted that the White House's immigration enforcement actions in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area must end.
"Our understanding is that the drawdown is happening immediately and in the very near future," Frey said. "That being said, it's not enough. Bringing 700 officers off our streets and sending them back wherever they came from is, of course, a positive step. But we still have somewhere around 2,000 federal agents between ICE and Border Patrol here in our city. On a normal basis, we're looking at somewhere just north of 100."
When asked whether the agents were heading home that day, Frey said he wasn't sure, but "I'll believe it when I see it."
The reporter brought up border czar Tom Homan's earlier remarks, in which he explained that he had conversations with Frey and other Democratic officials in Minnesota. "What can you tell us about what was said during that conversation?" she asked.
We've had a series of conversations, obviously, with the border czar Homan, with both individuals in the White House, as well as, of course, with President Trump last week and this week. The message has been consistent. The message is that Operation Metro Surge needs to end. The message is that we will partner to get violent offenders off our streets. Again, not focused on immigration, but focused on crime. This is a message that I've been delivering for months now, plural.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says Tom Homan's drawdown of federal immigration agents is "not enough."
— Jeff Charles, Asker of Questions🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) February 5, 2026
"We still have somewhere in the range of 2,000 federal agents between ICE and Border Patrol here here in our city. pic.twitter.com/N9ktM5FrwH
Frey has been one of the most vocal critics of the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts in Minnesota. He referred to the White House's Operation Metro Surge in the state as a "chaos" operation where "roving bands of agents marching down the street" are making families too afraid to leave their homes.
CNN GRILLS Mayor Jacob Frey for cooperating with ICE during the Obama administration, but refusing to do so under Trump.
— American AF 🇺🇸 (@iAnonPatriot) February 5, 2026
You know it’s bad when even CNN is turning on you. lmao pic.twitter.com/0MMtQveg3H
The mayor has also accused the administration of violating constitutional rights through "indiscriminate" arrests of Latinos, Somalis, and Southeast Asians. "This is not about safety…This is about silencing a political position that differs from that of a federal administration," he said.
Operation Metro Surge launched in December 2025. The Trump administration sent about 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol officers to Minnesota to apprehend and deport illegal immigrants.
The operation led to over 4,000 arrests. However, the initiative was met with controversy after two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens involving ICE and Border Patrol officers.
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