Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has outright rejected Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's proposal to establish a designated protest zone in the city. The call for such a zone came as part of Noem's broader framework for federal-local cooperation on security, aimed at balancing public safety with First Amendment rights. According to Frey, however, the city's constitutional protections extend beyond "one park or one section of the city," and protests cannot be limited to specific areas.
The proposal sparked a heated exchange between Frey and Noem during separate Sunday morning appearances on CBS News' Face the Nation and NBC News' Meet the Press. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended federal operations, emphasizing that rioting is not protected by the First Amendment. In contrast, Frey emphasized the importance of peaceful protests and noted that crime statistics in Minneapolis are down across multiple categories.
The proposal comes amid escalating tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, where nearly 3,000 ICE agents have been deployed. The deployment has sparked weeks of protests and clashes, including the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident by an ICE agent on January 7. President Donald Trump had previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to respond to protesters.
Frey has repeatedly called for peaceful protests while criticizing the federal deployment, but his comments have drawn criticism from White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who accused him of putting "criminal illegal aliens before law-abiding Americans." Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has encouraged residents to peacefully film ICE agents as they conduct their operations.
As tensions continue to escalate, the Justice Department is investigating Frey and Walz over allegations of conspiring to impede federal immigration agents. The investigation focuses on 18 U.S.C. § 372, which criminalizes conspiracies to obstruct federal officers through force, intimidation, or threats. The standoff between federal agents and local authorities shows no signs of immediate resolution, with protests continuing in Minneapolis and Minnesota officials urging ICE to leave the city.
The proposal sparked a heated exchange between Frey and Noem during separate Sunday morning appearances on CBS News' Face the Nation and NBC News' Meet the Press. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended federal operations, emphasizing that rioting is not protected by the First Amendment. In contrast, Frey emphasized the importance of peaceful protests and noted that crime statistics in Minneapolis are down across multiple categories.
The proposal comes amid escalating tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, where nearly 3,000 ICE agents have been deployed. The deployment has sparked weeks of protests and clashes, including the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident by an ICE agent on January 7. President Donald Trump had previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to respond to protesters.
Frey has repeatedly called for peaceful protests while criticizing the federal deployment, but his comments have drawn criticism from White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who accused him of putting "criminal illegal aliens before law-abiding Americans." Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has encouraged residents to peacefully film ICE agents as they conduct their operations.
As tensions continue to escalate, the Justice Department is investigating Frey and Walz over allegations of conspiring to impede federal immigration agents. The investigation focuses on 18 U.S.C. § 372, which criminalizes conspiracies to obstruct federal officers through force, intimidation, or threats. The standoff between federal agents and local authorities shows no signs of immediate resolution, with protests continuing in Minneapolis and Minnesota officials urging ICE to leave the city.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey just said NO to Kristi Noem's proposal for a designated protest zone in the city... like, good riddance I guess? But seriously, what's next? The federal gov't gonna set up its own police state or something? 
The whole thing is super concerning with ICE agents deployed and protests getting violent... Minnesota Governor Tim Walz just wants to film them while they do their thing? How's that gonna end well 
. Oh, and now Frey's being investigated by the Justice Dept for conspiring against federal immigration agents... not sure what's more worrisome, this or the fact that nearly 3k ICE agents are still in Minneapolis 
so like i think frey is totally right on this one 
it's not about limiting protests but making sure ppl know their rights too 
i mean imagine if a rioter came to u just causin trouble & ur not gonna stop em bc u don't wanna violate their rights, but also can't let them harm others 
I'm kinda surprised by this whole situation. It feels like we're taking two steps forward, one step back. On one hand, you got people like Mayor Frey standing up for peaceful protests and our constitutional rights. Like, yeah, let's make sure that our voices are heard! 
But on the other hand, you got all this chaos and violence from the ICE agents. It's hard to know what to think when there's so much misinformation flying around.
I'm tired of feeling like our local leaders are being pitted against each other. We need more unity and less division, you know? 
Newsflash: peaceful protests are not a crime. It's just common sense that you can't limit protests to specific areas, it's like putting a time-out on democracy.
. Protests and riots often overlap, but they're not the same thing. And what about all those peaceful protesters who are just trying to make their voices heard? Don't we want to support them, not suppress them?
. And as for Frey and Walz, I hope they can hold firm against these baseless allegations 
. We need more officials like them, not less. 
. And for what it's worth, crime stats in Minneapolis are actually down across multiple categories... but who knows what other factors come into play? 
. Anyways, this whole thing is gonna be a major wild card for the 2024 elections 
. Let's just try to find common ground and stuff.
.