I hope JD Vance, the U.S. Senator from Ohio, is on his way to Minneapolis. Further, he hopes to cool the increasing antagonism toward immigration enforcement that’s been shown in the city. His visit is to encourage productive dialogue between local leaders and employees of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Vance’s stated laudable goal is to alleviate unnecessary tension and enmity between city cops and the Feds.
Vance has stated that local officials’ refusal to cooperate with enforcement efforts is one of the biggest impediments to effective law enforcement. In it, he specifically calls out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. For starters, he’s claiming Frey is directing Minneapolis police not to help federal ICE agents in their enforcement activities. Vance contends the disconnect forces ICE agents into dangerous street-level missions, which could be avoided through joint cooperation. Preventing these harrowing situations is possible through the right support from local authorities, he says.
“That’s where the energy of the federal government should be directed: toward restoring trust, accountability, and real law and order, not political retaliation,” said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, voicing concerns over the safety of residents amid increasing violence in the city.
While in Minneapolis, Vance hopes to bring attention to targeted cases of ICE arresting community members in Minneapolis. All of these people have significant criminal convictions, including sexual assault. More important than what’s gained or lost is his observation that lack of local collaboration is a root cause of increasing conflict and bloodshed.
Vance focused on the crucial harm done by state and local governments abdicating their duty to cooperate with immigration enforcement. He’s convinced that better collaboration across sectors will mean better results when it comes to protecting our communities and saving lives.
Vance compared Minneapolis to other Democratic-led cities such as Memphis and Austin, which have maintained relative calm despite similar demographic challenges. He noted, “When you look at Memphis, Tennessee, or Austin, Texas, or any other community virtually across the United States of America, and you don’t see the same level of chaos in Minneapolis, the natural conclusion is that it’s not what ICE is doing in Minneapolis, it’s what Minneapolis authorities are doing to prevent ICE from doing their jobs.”
The senator expressed his opposition to recent protests in Minneapolis, where protesters have stood physically in front of ICE vehicles and pursued federal agents. He described these measures as “some cowardly bullshit.” He asked demonstrators to express their concerns through the ballot box rather than through destructive clashes.
Families are scared. Kids are afraid to go to school. Small businesses are hurting. Because a mother’s still dead. The folks who did this haven’t been held accountable,” Walz said, underscoring the need to quell fears about public safety amid this unrest.
Vance contended that much of what has been reported regarding ICE operations in Minneapolis is either overstated or taken out of context. He even made the case for the immigration agents’ actions, claiming that they’re just doing their jobs really well even in difficult environments. “Frankly, a lot of the media is lying about the job that they do every single day,” he remarked.
As war breaks in Europe, tensions escalate in the city of Minneapolis. Vance’s visit will seek to connect the dots between harmful federal immigration enforcement and local political power. These important discussions have the power to determine what the future relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve looks like. Neither side should want to stand down in the face of destruction and violence.