There’s trouble brewing in Minnesota – and I’m left wondering if it needed to go that far in the first place.
Over the past few weeks, ICE agents, under the orders of the Trump administration, have made their way to Minneapolis, detaining criminal illegal immigrants who had taken part in a scheme that was costing taxpayers billions of dollars. But their presence has left local government uneasy, particularly Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who. From the very beginning, he’s been against them, insisting that his local government could handle everything itself.
And then it began. Citizens became uneasy. Local police chief Brian O’Hara told his officers that they should not work with ICE in detaining these obvious suspects. Eventually, it pushed to a head with the death of 37-year old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot while attempting to charge at an ICE agent with her vehicle.
But rather than eventually coming together to resolve everything, Frey decided to push the envelope even further. At a press conference, he said, free and clear, “Get the f*** out of Minneapolis.” No resolution, no offering to work together on an investigation, just a straight-up “we do not want you here.” And, surprise, that has now pushed citizens to the brink.
Now we have violent protests. We have people attacking ICE officers and preventing them from doing their duty. We have mistrust. We have finger-pointing. And it’s all because Frey, alongside Governor Tim Walz, simply don’t want to admit to their mistakes that led them to the state to begin with.
So now it’s come to this. The Justice Department is officially investigating Walz and Frey, along with other responsible parties, over what has taken place. They believe that a conspiracy has arisen to impede federal immigration agents, based on public statements and actions that have now led to what feels like an unnecessary conflict between ICE and its citizens.
You would think they would accept why ICE is there and simply work alongside them to resolve the problem that came to be in the first place. But no. Even with the threat of investigation, both Frey and Walz remain dangerously defiant.
“This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets,” Frey noted in a statement to CBS News. “I will not be intimidated. My focus will remain where it’s always been: keeping our city safe.”
Except, Mr. Mayor, you have done the exact opposite. With your public statements and actions, you have actually invited the chaos from your citizens. That’s why they’re charging at ICE agents. That’s why they’re protesting. That’s why they’re posting insanely on social media, insisting these hard-working people are the problem. Because of your statements and your actions.
But let’s continue with Walz’s statement. “Two days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week, it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Another misleading statement. The FBI is thoroughly investigating every aspect of the shooting and working alongside the agent, who, by the way, is seeing malicious torment from citizens and online alike, thanks to your verbal assault.
As for weaponizing the justice system, you’re just as guilty as you say your opponents are, Tim. You’re refusing to allow law enforcement to look further into a matter that is costing your citizens billions in tax dollars. And then you withhold any support from them towards ICE agents, believing it could be a danger to immigrant criminals that you’ve decided to protect.
That’s the biggest problem in all this. Walz and Frey insist they’re doing good for their citizens and the city of Minneapolis as a whole. But on the outset, they’re impeding an investigation into the Somali scheme. They’re now forced to keep angry citizens at bay, who are attacking them for the wrong reasons. And they continue to pour gasoline on a raging fire, believing themselves to be fighting for the right thing when the wrong thing is clearly happening around them.
It’ll be interesting to see where this investigation goes, but one thing’s for sure. Minnesota’s lack of cooperation in any regard is becoming its own undoing. And if it keeps it up, I can’t see the situation getting any better.
Enjoying PJ Media?
Get exclusive content and support independent journalism with 60% off a PJ Media VIP membership. Use promo code FIGHT and join today.
