The standoff between the Trump administration and Minnesota officials intensified sharply on Sunday, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey accusing the federal government of attempting to “invade” his city following reports that active-duty military personnel have been placed on standby.
During an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Frey responded to breaking reports that the Pentagon has prepared 1,500 troops from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division—a unit specializing in cold-weather operations based in Alaska—for potential deployment to Minnesota. The move comes as temperatures in Minneapolis hover near zero and local tensions over federal immigration enforcement boil over.
RELATED: Arctic Infantry On Standby: 1,500 Troops Alerted For Minnesota As Insurrection Act Threat Looms
“This act was clearly designed to intimidate the people of Minneapolis,” Frey told anchor Jake Tapper. “We’re not going to be intimidated.”
The deployment news marks a significant escalation in what local leaders are calling an “occupation.” Currently, federal presence in the city includes approximately 3,000 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, vastly outnumbering the city’s 600 police officers.
Frey described the atmosphere in the city as a “siege,” rejecting the administration’s stance that the surge in federal resources is necessary for public safety. “The best way to get safety is not to have an influx of even more agents,” Frey said. “The second these ICE agents leave the city… you’re going to have calm in Minneapolis.”
Criminal Probes and Constitutional Crises
The conflict has moved beyond rhetoric into legal jeopardy for state leadership. As the Tampa Free Press reported, the Justice Department is opening a criminal probe into both Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for alleged obstruction of federal law enforcement. RELATED: Feds Target Walz And Frey In Minnesota ICE Obstruction Probe; Governor Fires Back
When asked if he had received an official subpoena, Frey said he had not, but defended his administration’s resistance to federal mandates.
“You don’t get investigated for having a different opinion,” Frey said. “If it were true, the targeting would be the product of performing one of the most basic responsibilities… to speak on behalf of our constituents.”
Boots On The Ground
Governor Walz has mobilized the Minnesota National Guard, though they have not yet been deployed. The maneuvering has raised the specter of a physical standoff between state and federal forces, a scenario Frey called “bizarre” and unprecedented in modern American history.
“We cannot be at a place right now in America where we have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another,” Frey warned, urging the judicial system to intervene.
For now, the eyes of the nation remain fixed on the Twin Cities.
“We are not going to take the bait,” Frey said, insisting that protests in his city would remain peaceful despite the pressure. “We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos.”
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