US Vice-President JD Vance has blamed local officials in Minneapolis for failing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, claiming their inaction has led to increased tensions and violence in the city. Speaking on Thursday, Vance said the 'number one thing' that would lower the temperature would be for officials to help facilitate 'reasonable enforcement of the law'.
Vance's visit comes after federal immigration agents detained a five-year-old child with his father and used tear gas on protesters in recent days. The US Justice Department issued subpoenas to state and local officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, as part of an investigation into whether they conspired to impede federal immigration enforcement.
Governor Walz dismissed the subpoenas as 'political theatre', stating his focus is on protecting the people of Minnesota. 'Families are scared. Kids are afraid to go to school. Small businesses are hurting,' Walz said. 'That’s where the energy of the federal government should be directed: toward restoring trust, accountability, and real law and order, not political retaliation.'
Vance argued that the level of chaos seen in Minneapolis is unique, contrasting it with other cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. He claimed that a lack of cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal authorities is the root cause. 'Maybe the problem is unique to Minneapolis, and we believe that it is,' Vance said.
When questioned about the detention of the five-year-old and aggression towards protesters, Vance dismissed reports as overblown or out of context. He called those disrupting ICE operations 'far-left agitators' and urged protesters to take their grievances to the ballot box rather than confront federal agents.
Vance said he had 'reasons to believe' that local officials would soon be more cooperative, and he called on local law enforcement to help arrest violent criminals. He emphasised that the federal government is doing what it can to lower tensions, but local officials are not meeting them halfway.
