Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey managed to hit a new low Wednesday afternoon, recklessly declaring that a federal immigration agent had no right to defend himself, even as clear video evidence shows the agent standing directly in front of a vehicle that accelerated toward him. The comments came barely an hour after the shooting, before any investigation had been completed, and while multiple videos were already circulating online.
During a hastily called press conference, Frey wasted no time blaming Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the deadly encounter. According to the mayor, ICE agents are not in Minneapolis to provide safety, but to “cause chaos and distrust.” He accused them of “ripping families apart,” “sowing chaos,” and ultimately killing a 37-year-old woman during the operation.
Frey then crossed from irresponsible rhetoric into outright denial of reality. Despite acknowledging that he had seen the video, the mayor flatly rejected any claim of self-defense. “They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense,” Frey said. “Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly, that is bullshit.” He went on to call the shooting a reckless abuse of power and capped it off by telling ICE, in crude terms, to leave the city.
ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/1gfFC0Le6Q
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) January 7, 2026
This is where the facts become inconvenient for City Hall. Multiple videos show a federal agent standing directly in front of a vehicle during the operation in South Minneapolis. The driver reversed, then accelerated forward with the agent still in front of the car. The agent fired, and the vehicle crashed into a parked car. Another angle shows the vehicle striking or swiping the agent at the moment shots were fired. Images of the vehicle show a bullet hole directly in front of the driver’s side windshield. These are not ambiguous details.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz quickly echoed Frey’s claims, posting on X that there was no reasonable self-defense argument and warning the public not to “believe the propaganda machine.” That statement came while video evidence was already contradicting the narrative being pushed by state and city leadership.
Frey then poured gasoline on an already volatile situation by calling for “protests.” As of this report, at least 300 protesters have gathered near the scene, which is now being guarded by Minneapolis police. In a city still scarred by past riots, urging public demonstrations before facts are established is not leadership, it is negligence.
The role of an elected official in moments like this is to calm tensions, protect the public, and allow investigators to do their jobs. Instead, Frey chose to act as judge, jury, and political activist, publicly condemning a federal agent while dismissing video evidence that contradicts his claims.
Self-defense law is not optional, and it does not disappear because an officer works for ICE or because it is politically inconvenient. When a vehicle accelerates toward an officer standing directly in its path, the law is clear. Pretending otherwise may score points with activists, but it comes at the cost of public trust, officer safety, and basic honesty.