A top Justice Department official sharply criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday, accusing him of siding with protesters even as violence erupted in the city during clashes with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The comments came after Frey defended demonstrators involved in anti-ICE protests that included reported violence and the disruption of a church service.
Alina Habba, a Justice Department official, reacted forcefully to Frey’s claims that the protesters were merely “speaking up peacefully” and “standing up for their neighbors.” Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Habba rejected that characterization and accused the mayor of fueling hostility rather than restoring order.
Habba said Frey was acting as a “Somali sympathizer,” pointing to what she described as his public behavior and rhetoric. She questioned how the mayor’s stance could possibly reduce tensions in a city already experiencing violent confrontations. According to Habba, law enforcement officers on the ground are facing a dangerous and confusing situation made worse by local leadership that she argued is undermining their efforts.
Habba told the hosts that she had recently spoken with roughly 200 federal agents who are leaving their families to travel to Minneapolis. She said those agents were deployed to keep the peace, remove criminals from the streets, and enforce immigration laws to make the country safer. She added that many of the agents do not even understand what protesters are claiming to stand for, suggesting that the demonstrations lack clear or legitimate purpose.
She also issued a warning to those who may be financially supporting the protests. Habba said the Department of Justice would look closely at anyone funding demonstrations that cross the line into violence or endanger public safety. While acknowledging that the First Amendment protects lawful protest, she drew a distinction between what she called “righteous protests” and those that prevent people from attending church or put others at risk.
Habba said that if individuals or groups are funding mass protests that result in disorder or intimidation, the Justice Department would not hesitate to act. She compared such investigations to a RICO-style approach, signaling that federal authorities could pursue organizers or backers who, in their view, contribute to coordinated unlawful activity.
The remarks came a day after Frey sharply criticized federal authorities, describing ICE officers as an “occupying force that has quite literally invaded our city.” His comments followed a wave of anti-ICE protests that broke out in Minneapolis after several ICE-related shootings. Frey argued that the presence of federal officers was making the situation worse rather than improving safety.
“If the goal were safety, this is not how you get there,” Frey said Sunday. He went on to claim that the solution to the violence would be for federal authorities to leave the city, suggesting that their withdrawal would help calm tensions.
Habba’s response underscored a growing divide between federal officials and local Democratic leadership over immigration enforcement and public safety. While Frey framed the protests as a community response to federal action, Habba emphasized the responsibility of leaders to protect law enforcement officers and ensure that basic freedoms, including the right to worship, are not disrupted by unrest.
The exchange highlighted broader national tensions over immigration, protest activity, and the balance between free expression and law and order, as Minneapolis once again finds itself at the center of a high-profile political and legal clash.
