by Sharon Rondeau
(Jan. 25, 2026) — Between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. EST Sunday, President Trump called on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, to “formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence.”
The request came after a Customs and Border Patrol agent fatally shot a protester Saturday while a team was conducting an arrest of a criminal illegal alien in Minneapolis, which is known for being a “sanctuary city.”
It was the second fatal shooting of a protester in the city this month, the first being of Renee Good.
Both of the deceased were 37 years old.
Minnesota often directs local law enforcement not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities on ICE “detainers.”
Other jurisdictions, conversely, can opt to work with ICE through the 287(g) program, which was specifically utilized by former Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio.
Earlier this month, Minnesota sued the administration to obtain a declaration of “illegal” occupation by the deploying of federal immigration agents.
Almost immediately after Alex Pretti was shot and killed Saturday morning, Walz and Frey gave separate press conferences condemning ICE and CBP operations and demanding the agency leave Minnesota posthaste.
Walz previously said he called upon his state National Guard to be on “standby,” while on Saturday Frey asked that National Guard “support” his effort to expel ICE and CBP from the city.
On Saturday, Walz “activated” the National Guard “at the request of county law enforcement after a federal agent fatally shot a man in south Minneapolis on Saturday morning.”
In his first of two posts on Truth Social Sunday evening, Trump faulted “Democrats” for providing safe haven for illegal aliens, including known criminals, in their states’ communities. Trump harkened back to “the four years of Crooked Joe Biden and Democrat failed leadership,” during which, he said, “Tens of Millions of Illegal Alien Criminals poured into our Country, including Hundreds of Thousands of Convicted Murderers, Rapists, Kidnappers, Drug Dealers, and Terrorists.”
Trump has said “21 million” illegal aliens, virtually all unvetted, entered the United States while Biden was in the White House, and campaigned in both 2016 and 2024 on a platform of removing illegals to address high crime rates and the strain on public services funded by the American taxpayer.
For the last seven months, Trump has reported, using CBP data, “zero” illegal border crossings, as opposed to the thousands which occurred during the Biden term.
His comment continued:
I won the Election in a Historic Landslide, and Republicans won Majorities in both the House and Senate, in large part, because we pledged to SEAL THE BORDER, which we have done, and launch the largest Mass Deportation of Illegal Alien Criminals in American History. This Deportation effort is underway, and in Republican run Cities and States, these operations are going peacefully and smoothly, because Local Law Enforcement Officers are allowed to work with their Federal counterparts. For example, in the five Republican run States of Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisiana, ICE has arrested 150,245 Criminal Illegal Aliens over the past year — with ZERO protests, riots, or chaos. Why? Because Local Police and ICE are cooperating and working together.
Meanwhile, Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States are REFUSING to cooperate with ICE, and they are actually encouraging Leftwing Agitators to unlawfully obstruct their operations to arrest the Worst of the Worst People! By doing this, Democrats are putting Illegal Alien Criminals over Taxpaying, Law-Abiding Citizens, and they have created dangerous circumstances for EVERYONE involved. Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos.
In a second post, Trump continued his thoughts by outlining his expectations of Democrat leaders throughout the country to release all “criminal illegal aliens” to “Federal Law Enforcement.”
CBP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), have been conducting arrests in major cities throughout the country and most visibly in Minneapolis of late, with a commitment to “making America safe.”
“That is why I am hereby calling on Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor in the United States of America to formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence,” Trump continued, followed by four requests/demands:
“1. Governor Walz and Mayor Frey should turn over all Criminal Illegal Aliens that are currently incarcerated in their State Prisons and Jails to Federal Authorities, along with all Illegal Criminals with an active warrant or known Criminal History, for Immediate Deportation.
“2. State and Local Law Enforcement must agree to turn over all Illegal Aliens arrested by Local Police.
“3. Local Police must assist Federal Law Enforcement in apprehending and detaining Illegal Aliens who are wanted for Crimes.
“4. Democrat Politicians must partner with the Federal Government to protect American Citizens in the rapid removal of all Criminal Illegal Aliens in our Country. Some Democrats, in places like Memphis, Tennessee, or Washington, D.C., have done so, resulting in safer streets for ALL.”
He then turned to Congress to pass a bill terminating “Sanctuary Cities,” a term which does not appear in immigration law.
According to the American Immigration Council, “Sanctuary policies are based on the idea that the federal government cannot compel jurisdictions to take part in immigration enforcement.”
Although the practices of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota belie it, the AIC continues, “Contrary to what many believe, sanctuary policies do not conceal or shelter undocumented immigrants from detection. Nor do they shield immigrants from deportation or prosecution for criminal activities. State and local police still enforce state and local criminal laws against immigrants who are accused of committing a crime in sanctuary jurisdictions. Importantly, the Supreme Court has made clear that ‘as a general rule, it is not a crime for a[n undocumented immigrant] to remain present in the United States.’”
According to the National Immigration Forum in February 2025:
Sanctuary jurisdictions[1] are, once again, the center of a noteworthy legal and political dispute. On February 6, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit against Chicago, Cook County, and the state of Illinois, alleging that their sanctuary policies obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts. On February 12, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New York’s Green Light Law, which allows immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status while protecting their privacy from federal immigration enforcement agencies. In addition, on February 5, the Office of the Attorney General issued a memorandum highlighting that all “sanctuary jurisdictions” would be denied access to federal funds from the Department of Justice, arguing that their actions are unlawful.
Prior to that, organizations allied with the current administration argued that officials from sanctuary jurisdictions limiting collaboration with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws may be criminally liable. They assert that their actions are tantamount to concealing, harboring, and shielding undocumented immigrants, which is prohibited under federal law. Similarly, recently introduced legislation would broadly define sanctuary jurisdictions and would cut off “any Federal funds that the sanctuary jurisdiction intends to use for the benefit” of the undocumented population. All these actions against sanctuary jurisdictions raise two crucial legal questions:
- Can state and local jurisdictions limit their involvement in enforcing immigration laws in cooperation with federal authorities?
- Can the federal government impose funding conditions on state and local jurisdictions to compel them to carry out immigration enforcement activity?
Under current law, the short answer to the first question is “likely yes.” Sanctuary jurisdictions have a constitutional right to limit their involvement in enforcing immigration laws. The second question is more complex from a legal standpoint, but the answer under current law is “likely no.” The federal government cannot impose funding conditions on sanctuary cities if they are coercive or excessively broad.
To provide more detailed answers to both questions, it is essential to remember that the United States has a federal system of government. Under federalism, power is divided between the federal government and smaller political units – the states. The states are, in turn, subdivided into municipal corporations, which can adopt the form of counties, cities, towns, and villages. These units retain a degree of autonomy under their state constitutions, but they are all subject to the U.S. Constitution.
In the United States, the federal government is in charge of creating and enforcing immigration laws. Under the U.S. Constitution, the Commerce Clause and the Naturalization Clause (both under Article I, Section 8) give the U.S. Congress the power to regulate who can enter the country, remain in, and become a citizen of the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court has further interpreted that the federal administration’s executive powers on immigration derive from congressional delegations of authority, as well as the executive branch’s authority in setting U.S. foreign policy.
Trump’s request of Congress reads:
In addition, I am hereby calling on the United States Congress to immediately pass Legislation to END Sanctuary Cities, which is the root cause of all of these problems. American Cities should be Safe Sanctuaries for Law Abiding American Citizens ONLY, not Illegal Alien Criminals who broke our Nation’s Laws.
“All of these requests are rooted in COMMON SENSE,” Trump further wrote, “and will provide the best possible circumstances to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The Trump Administration is standing by, and waiting for ANY Democrat to do the right thing, and work with us on these important matters of MAKING AMERICA SAFE like it is in all sections of our Country where we are, together with Local Leadership, participating and involved.”
He signed the second post with his customary “DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
I have two points. One strikes at the heart of the democrat party, and the other is just a cynical observation.
First, Jesse Kelly has made the point. Three things are propping up the democrat party. Without these three things they perish as a national party. The three things are election fraud, keeping and supporting illegal aliens (through sanctuary cities), and keeping the NGO grift going such as what is being uncovered in Minnesota and other states. So, President Trump is asking the democrat party to commit hari kari in Minneapolis. So, expect more fighting.
The second point is that the communist thugs are still holding a number of cards. The most significant, the one we have not seen yet is a false flag event. There are tons of unemployed crisis actors waiting for the call. So, again, expect more fighting.