Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says it would be a ‘shocking step’ for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act
WASHINGTON — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that it “would be a shocking step” if President Donald Trump deployed the military to Minnesota under the Insurrection Act.
Frey noted that crime statistics were down in several categories, according to city data, saying, “We don’t need more federal agents to keep people safe. We’re safe.”
“In Minneapolis, we are not going to be intimidated. We are not going to back down,” he told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “We’re going to make this bear smile and start again in peace.”
Crime in Minneapolis is down in several categories, including vandalism, theft and weapons violations over the past 28 days, according to city data. However, during the same period, the city saw an increase in certain categories of crime, such as assault and motor vehicle theft.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded to Frey’s interview, accusing him in a statement of “putting criminal illegal aliens ahead of law-abiding Americans.” She also criticized what she called “his smears against law enforcement that incite violence.”
Last week, Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to respond to protesters, whom he called “professional agitators and insurrectionists.”
The Pentagon has placed about 1,500 active-duty troops on deployment readiness orders in case Trump seeks to send them to Minnesota, according to two U.S. officials. The troops are part of two battalions of the 11th Airborne Division.
The notification was described as part of “prudent planning” regarding the possibility of Trump invoking the Insurrection Act, said the officials, who did not know whether Trump planned to do so.
The units that have been notified are part of a national response force from the Northern Command, officials said.
A White House official said: “It is typical for the War Department to be prepared for any decision the president may or may not make. »
In an interview on Fox News, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said “there may be a time when the president has to order this,” referring to the Insurrection Act.
“We support it, the attorney general supports it, because we have to ensure the safety of citizens,” he added.
NBC News reported last week that the Justice Department was investigating Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, both Democrats, based on the theory that they conspired to obstruct federal immigration agents through public statements.
Frey said on “Meet the Press” that he had not received a subpoena, adding that “it would be deeply concerning if the federal government targeted someone for a product that is literally my work.”
“It is my responsibility to speak on behalf of the people of Minneapolis,” he said. “It is my responsibility to do everything in my power to keep our city safe. »
Walz also criticized the administration in a statement, saying, “Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is an authoritarian and dangerous tactic.”
Frey and Walz have been outspoken against the administration’s handling of immigration enforcement, as well as the fatal shooting by an ICE officer of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman. A growing number of federal agents arrived in the city following the shooting, sparking new protests.
Shortly after Good’s death, Frey lambasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement, telling ICE to “fuck off our city.”
On Sunday, Frey again urged the administration to get ICE out of Minneapolis.
“If the goal is security, if the goal is to keep the peace, I tell you, there is a very good antidote to some of the dangers that we’ve seen, and that’s just getting ICE gone,” he said.
