Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that if President Donald Trump invoked the Insurrection Act to deploy the military to Minnesota, “that would be a shocking step.”
Frey pointed to crime statistics being down across multiple categories, according to city data, saying, “We don’t need more federal agents to keep people safe, we are safe.”
“In Minneapolis, we’re not going to be intimidated. We’re not backing down,” he told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “We’re going to grin down this bear and do so again with peace.”
Minneapolis crime is down across several categories in the last 28 days, according to city data, including vandalism, theft and weapons violations. In that same period, though, the city has seen an increase in certain crime categories such as assault offenses and motor vehicle theft.
Last week, Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to respond to protesters, who he referred to as “professional agitators and insurrectionists.”
The Pentagon has identified some active-duty troops that could be put on prepare to deploy orders to Minnesota, according to two U.S. officials.
The notification was described as part of “prudent planning” for the possibility that Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, said the officials who had no knowledge of whether Trump plans to invoke the act to deploy active-duty troops to Minnesota.
The units that were identified are part of a domestic response force out of Northern Command, the officials said.
A White House official said, “It’s typical for the Department of War to be prepared for any decision the president may or may not make.”
NBC News reported last week that the Justice Department is investigating Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, both Democrats, in theory that they conspired to impede federal immigration agents via public statements.
Frey said on “Meet the Press” that he has not received a subpoena, adding that “it would be deeply concerning if the federal government is targeting someone for a product that is quite literally my job.”
“It is my responsibility to speak on behalf of Minneapolis residents,” he said. “It’s my responsibility to do everything possible to keep our city safe.”
Walz had previously slammed the administration in a statement, saying, “Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”
Frey and Walz have been outspoken against the administration’s handling of immigration enforcement, as well as the ICE officer’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. Increasing numbers of federal officers arrived in Minneapolis in the wake of the shooting, which sparked additional protests.
Shortly after Good was killed, Frey blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement, telling ICE to “get the f— out of our city.”
On Sunday, Frey again urged the administration to have ICE leave Minneapolis.
“If the goal is safety, if the goal is maintaining a peace, I’ll tell you, there’s a very good antidote to some of the danger we’ve been seeing, and it’s just to have ICE leave,” he said.
