Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday, January 11, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) of inflaming tensions and stirring up the public against ICE, something that is particularly awful given the attacks on ICE.
As background, the sanctuary city of Minneapolis has become ground zero for a major fight between the Trump Administration and the left, with the Somali migrant fraud scandal being a reason for the administration’s feud with the Walz government and justification for its crackdown on the city. Things have escalated in it in the wake of a leftist protester being shot while allegedly trying to run over an ICE agent.
Such was the background of Noem’s angry back and forth with Tapper and sounding off on Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey. Kicking off the discussion, Tapper asked her, “On the matter of partnering, state and local officials in Minnesota are asking to be allowed to participate in the investigation into the shooting, alongside the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said in a statement, that they’ve been denied access to evidence in the case. It is normal, in investigations like these, to be done with federal officials working in tandem with state and local officials, according to the governor of Minnesota, the mayor of Minneapolis and the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehensions. DHS is not doing that. Why?”
Responding, Secretary Noem insisted that nothing is amiss our outside of the norm in this case, saying, “Well, we’re following the same protocols that we’ve always followed in these situations. Nothing’s changed. We do our investigations, and the federal government continues to do that with the Department of Justice.”
Pressing her on what is going on, Tapper said, “You don’t work with locals?” Still not backing down, Noem then told Tapper that DHS won’t bend the knee to local authorities if they are hostile to it, saying, “But we do work with locals when they work with us. But on the investigation piece of it, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have a process and a protocol that we’ve always followed, and we’re doing the same thing in this situation.”
Tapper wasn’t convinced, and snapped back, “But what do you mean? You work with them when they work with you?” Noem noted that Minneapolis is a sanctuary city that has made itself hostile to ICE and dangerous to American citizens with its ridiculous and irresponsible policies, saying, “Like as far as operations on the ground, we would love that. These sanctuary cities, such as Minneapolis, are extremely dangerous for American citizens. And, Jake, since we’ve been there, we’ve arrested dozens and dozens of murderers and r*pists.”
Still not done with Noem, Tapper pressed her on the matter yet again, snapping, “I understand that you’re saying that it’s the Department of Justice, not DHS, but officials are saying the Department of Justice is not working with them. Should they be working with the locals?”
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That’s when Secretary Noem dropped the hammer on Walz and Frey. Doing so, she said, “You know, I would say that these locals, if you look at what Governor Walz has said, if you look at what Mayor Frey has said, they’ve extremely politicized and inappropriately talked about the situation on the ground in their city.”
Concluding by describing the ill effects for America of their anti-ICE attitude, Secretary Noem said, “They’ve inflamed the public. They’ve encouraged the kind of destruction and violence that we’ve seen in Minneapolis those last several days. And I would encourage them to grow up, get some maturity, act like people who are responsible, who want people to be safe and the right thing be done. When you use the kind of language that you use against law enforcement officers, they lose their credibility.”
Watch her here: