In a move that has managed to raise both eyebrows and tensions, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye has steadfastly refused to cooperate with ICE, insisting it isn’t his job to enforce federal immigration law. Mayor Frye, whose position seems to be inspired by a laissez-faire approach to law enforcement, rather prefers his police force to ensure public safety without dipping their toes into anything as complicated as federal matters. This has caused more than a bit of controversy, with opponents arguing that his stance effectively ties the hands of law enforcement officers and invites troubles of national scale into the local backyard.
As anyone who’s been around the block a few times might recognize, there seems to be a glaring oversight in this approach: it fails to differentiate between hardworking individuals trying to make an honest living and those who have a bit more sinister resume. The goal isn’t to send officers on an accusatory witch hunt, but rather to streamline the agency operations by working together with ICE to handle those who have not only broken local laws but are also flagged in federal systems. Frustratingly, turning a blind eye at the pivotal crossroad where local crimes meet federal charges seems a dubious strategy at best.
The conversation brewing among law enforcement circles, however, reflects a simmering frustration. Mark Ross, the president of the St. Paul Police Federation, pointedly states the community’s predicament when local leaders choose to and leave federal partners to clean up the mess. The argument here should be as clear as day: if someone with a federal warrant is safely detained, the logical next step would be to work in lockstep with ICE, not hopscotch away from any semblance of accountability. Ross succinctly voices the bafflement of many who see this cooperation as not just logical, but essential to public safety.
Interestingly, as the discussion rolls on, the idea of cooperation between federal and local forces, as desired by officials like Tom Homan, seems like the reasonable middle ground that could de-escalate the situation. The productive dialogues that are starting to form with some level of cooperation are seen as steps in the right direction by most in law enforcement circles. They see the potential reduction in federal agents tangled in local matters as a win if local jails could just play nice and allow ICE transfers without fuss.
The burning question left dangling is whether Mayor Fry will hand out the same adventurous blueprint to other cities or if sense will prevail. The guidance to “let cops be cops” feels like a rare moment of clarity in an increasingly murky pool of political maneuvering where local protection doesn’t take a back seat to federal matters but partners with it for everyone’s good. Moving forward with a focus on safety, cooperation, and sanity across borders—both literal and metaphorical—shouldn’t be a radical or novel concept, but apparently, navigating this common sense continues to be more thrilling than anyone might have anticipated.
