Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accused the federal government of being at war with his state after the fatal shooting during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation.
Tensions with the Trump administration escalated sharply Wednesday when an ICE agent shot a woman who appeared to be interrupting their operation with her vehicle. Video shows her swerving into an agent, who fired at her and killed her.
‘Minnesota will not allow our community to be used as a prop in a national political fight. We will not take the bait.’
Walz blamed the Trump administration for the shooting by claiming the increased immigration enforcement actions were unnecessary.
“I said this yesterday, we’ve never been at war with our federal government,” the governor said during a media briefing.
He went on to suggest that he would order the Minnesota National Guard to oppose the federal government.
“We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem: You’ve done enough. There’s nothing more important than Minnesotans’ safety,” he said.
“I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary. I remind you, a warning order is a heads-up for folks,” he added.
“These National Guard troops are our National Guard troops,” he emphasized. “They’re teachers in your community, they’re business owners, they’re construction professionals. They are Minnesotans. Minnesota will not allow our community to be used as a prop in a national political fight. We will not take the bait.”
Homeland Security Assistant Sec. Tricia McLaughlin had previously blamed Democratic rhetoric for the shooting.
“This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement,” she said. “These men and women who are simply enforcing the law on the books are facing 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.”
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Other Democrats are using the shooting to call for the federal government to pull officers out of Minnesota.
“I have a message for ICE. To ICE, get the f**k out of Minneapolis!” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) said during an earlier media briefing.
“We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite,” he added. “People are being hurt. Families are being ripped apart. Long-term Minneapolis residents that have contributed so greatly to our city, to our culture, to our economy are being terrorized, and now somebody is dead.”
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