Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defended violent protests targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Fox and Friends, describing them simply as people “stand[ing] up for their neighbors,” even as he was informed that obstructing federal law enforcement, not to mention assaulting officers, is a federal crime.
"You're seeing it in real time. You are aware that 18 U.S.C. § 111 makes it a federal crime to impede, interfere, or even assault officers," the Fox News host told Mayor Frey. "And we see the protesters crossing the line of protesting, throwing rocks, hitting cars, and interfering with the federal government's operation of carrying out federal immigration law enforcement."
"We have had perhaps tens of thousands of people peacefully protesting in the streets," Frey replied. "And at the same time, yeah, they are going to stand up for their neighbors."
HOST: You are aware that it is a federal crime to interfere with operations or assault officers. We see protesters throwing rocks, hitting cars, and interfering.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 14, 2026
FREY: "...They are going to stand up for their neighbors." pic.twitter.com/8sSHUvZ8WX
This comes amid a more than 1,100 percent increase in assaults on ICE agents from January 21 to November 21, 2025, with 238 reported assaults in 2025 versus 19 in the same period in 2024. DHS and ICE have also publicly stated that vehicle attacks on ICE officers increased by 3,200 percent over the past year. And yet people like Mayor Frey still contend that the protests are for a good cause.
Recommended
Here are some clips of Minneapolis residents "stand[ing] up for their neighbors.”
#BREAKING
— ❀ N ✿ (@8zal) January 14, 2026
A woman with special needs from Minneapolis, USA, tried to drive her car on a street where a demonstration was taking place in front of a house that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had raided.
Despite telling them she had a doctor's appointment, ICE… pic.twitter.com/F8MM4bkhUF
🚨 JUST IN: ICE agents just RIPPED a man out of his vehicle and arrested him next to a Minneapolis target — and they DOUSED leftist harassers in pepper spray
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 14, 2026
There is literally NOTHING the left can do to stop the deportations.
FULL STEAM AHEAD! 🇺🇸
pic.twitter.com/YjDJC96QA5
A sweeping ICE operation across Minneapolis sparked panic as residents formed rapid-response patrols, blowing whistles and chasing vehicles they believed belonged to immigration agents. pic.twitter.com/UAkfPcIs8K
— New York Post (@nypost) December 5, 2025
This all culminated in the tragic death of Renee Good, a “protester” who recklessly put not only her own life at risk but also the lives of the ICE officers she confronted, including the agent she struck with her vehicle. Such behavior cannot be excused as “stand[ing] up for your neighbors.” True civic courage involves protecting and respecting others' safety, not creating chaos or endangering lives.
Good’s actions serve as a stark reminder that reckless defiance of the law has real, fatal consequences, and that glorifying such behavior under the guise of activism is both dangerous and irresponsible. But since when has a Democrat ever cared about that?
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: ICE AGENT FATALLY SHOOTS WOMAN DURING IMMIGRATION OPERATION IN MINNEAPOLIS! 🇺🇸❄️
— NewsDaily🪖🗞️🚨 (@XNews24_7) January 7, 2026
37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer in south Minneapolis amid protests over a massive federal immigration crackdown.
DHS claims self-defense: She… pic.twitter.com/15kR8dPzxW
Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.
Help us hold these leftists accountable and expose their obstruction. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member