Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday that the ongoing unrest in the city is “not sustainable” as protests continued following a second shooting in about a week involving a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. The latest incident added to mounting tensions already gripping Minneapolis.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, an ICE officer shot a person in the leg after the individual allegedly attacked the officer during an enforcement action. DHS said both the officer and the wounded individual were transported to a hospital, though neither suffered life-threatening injuries.
In a social media post Wednesday evening, Frey said that regardless of the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the situation unfolding in the city cannot continue at its current pace. He pointed to the strain on local resources and the growing unrest as protests spread.
Frey said approximately 600 Minneapolis Police Department officers are currently deployed to help maintain public safety, while roughly 3,000 federal officers have been sent to Minnesota as part of the immigration enforcement surge.
The mayor urged residents to remain calm and called for peaceful demonstrations, while sharply criticizing ICE’s actions. He warned against responding to what he described as “Donald Trump’s chaos” with further chaos on the streets.
The comments come as Minneapolis remains on edge following a series of high-profile immigration enforcement incidents, including a fatal shooting earlier this month. Protests have continued across the city as community members and leaders debate the role and tactics of federal immigration agents.