US President Donald Trump warned that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is "playing with fire" after he said the city would not enforce federal immigration laws, The Hill reported.
"Surprisingly, Mayor Jacob Frey just said that "Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws". "This is after a very good conversation with him," Trump wrote on the social network TruthSocial.
"Can someone close to him explain that this statement is a very serious violation of the law and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE!", the head of state added.
Yesterday, Frey announced that he had told the "border czar" White House spokesman Tom Homan, whom Trump sent to Minneapolis earlier this week, that the city would not enforce federal immigration laws.
"I shared with Mr. Homan the serious negative impact this operation has had on Minneapolis and surrounding communities, as well as the strain it has placed on our local police officers," he wrote on the social network X.
"I also made it clear that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, and that we will remain focused on the safety of our neighbors and streets," Frey stressed.
The mayor assured that city leaders would remain in contact with Homan and his team. Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minnesota) met with the border czar for a "productive" conversation earlier in the day after two U.S. citizens were killed by immigration authorities in Minneapolis.
Trump administration officials, including Homan and Attorney General Pam Bondi, have urged local authorities to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests in an effort to detain illegal immigrants in the area.
The exchange comes amid escalating tensions following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that sparked mass protests and prompted Trump to send Homan to oversee operations in the state.