Asked if he saw anything that warranted declaring the Insurrection Act, Vance said, “I don’t think there’s a need for that” at this point.
J.D. Vance defends ICE’s ‘incredible work’ in Minneapolis
Vice President J.D. Vance defended ICE amid a backlash in Minnesota following the ICE-involved shooting of Renee Good.
MINNEAPOLIS — Vice President J.D. Vance defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid an outcry in Minneapolis following an ICE-involved shooting in early January, declaring that ICE agents are doing an “incredible job” and that local authorities need more cooperation.
At the same time, the vice president said during his Jan. 22 trip that he wanted to ease tensions with state and local leaders, acknowledged that law enforcement agencies such as ICE “make mistakes,” and added that President Donald Trump is not currently considering invoking the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.
“Quite frankly, we wanted to show some support for these guys who are operating in a very tough environment,” said Vance, who stood in front of federal officers with three ICE SUVs flanking a podium.
Mr. Vance and Mr. Trump rallied around ICE after a police officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on January 7, sparking anti-ICE protests across the country and leading Minneapolis leaders to call for ICE to leave the city. Vance strongly defended the agent who shot and killed Good at a Jan. 8 press conference, vowing to “stand with ICE.”
During the trip to Minneapolis, he was more conciliatory at times.
As about a dozen anti-ICE demonstrators gathered outside, Vance met with ICE officials in Royalston Square and held a roundtable with local leaders to “try to understand a little bit better what’s going on so we can try to lighten the temperature a little bit.”
President Trump has threatened to invoke the Minnesota Insurrection Act, which authorizes the deployment of U.S. troops to quell an insurrection or civil disturbance or if federal law is obstructed. Asked whether he saw or heard anything during his trip that would warrant declaring the Insurrection Act, Vance said, “I don’t think there’s a need for it at this point,” but he said Trump “could change his mind, and of course things could get worse.”
Mr. Vance: “Failure of cooperation between state and local governments”
Vance arrived in Minneapolis amid a wave of unrest following Goode’s death. Local leaders have strongly criticized ICE, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called for ICE to leave the city.
Mr. Frey posted a video on social media on January 22, without mentioning Mr. Vance, in which he countered by saying, “This is the federal government’s narrative that Minneapolis is such a horrible place.”
“What I saw instead was something completely different: the best of Minneapolis,” Frey said.
Anti-ICE demonstrators have clashed with federal agents in Minneapolis since Goode’s death. Community organizers are planning a day of action across the state for Jan. 23, asking people to stay home from work and school and avoid shopping.
“We want to reduce the confusion,” Vance said, adding that Trump told him to “meet these people halfway.” But he also slammed local officials, blaming discord in the city on a lack of cooperation with federal authorities.
“The reason things got so out of hand is because of the failure of cooperation between state and local governments and what they’re trying to do,” Vance said.
Vice President J.D. Vance: ‘I support ICE’
Vice President J.D. Vance said he supports ICE officers after a woman was shot and killed at a protest in Minnesota.
Walz investigation underway: ‘Minnesota will not be intimidated into silence’
Vance called for cooperation from local officials, but said he did not speak with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during his trip. Mr. Vance and Mr. Trump clashed with Mr. Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate.
“If Governor Walz wants to call me, I’ll definitely continue the conversation,” Vance said.
In a social media post after Vance’s speech, Walz said he was pleased that “the Vice President agreed that we need to lower the temperature, but actions speak louder than words.”
“We don’t need 3,000 deicers on our streets…Let’s eliminate displays of force on our streets and work with the state on targeted enforcement of violent criminals instead of random, aggressive confrontations,” Walz added.
Minnesota officials have fought the Trump administration in public statements and in court.
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Walz, and Frey recently issued subpoenas to them, focusing on whether they obstructed federal immigration efforts. In a Jan. 20 statement, Walz called the investigation “partisan obstruction.”
“Minnesota will not be intimidated into silence, and neither will I,” Walz said.
The state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities have filed a lawsuit aimed at blocking the deployment of immigration officials. A federal court ordered investigators in Minnesota to stop using aggressive tactics, but that order was blocked by an appeals court.
The legal battles and war of words between local and federal officials mirror the state of the dispute on the ground. Since Goode’s shooting, there have been a number of controversial incidents, including an anti-ICE protest at a church that recently resulted in two arrests, and the detention of four students, including a 5-year-old, in a Minneapolis suburb.
Frey highlighted the arrest of a church protester and the detention of a 5-year-old child over a Jan. 22 social media post condemning the federal government. Vance said she wanted more church protesters arrested and defended the 5-year-old’s detention, saying authorities were targeting the father.
“If the argument is that you can’t arrest someone who violates the law because they have a child, then all parents have complete immunity from law enforcement,” Vance said.
Doug Luhn, president and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, said he was among those who met with Vance on Jan. 22. Luhn said it is in the best interest of Minnesota’s business community to reduce tensions. “Our goal is clear: to support engagement between the federal government and Minnesota public servants to de-escalate current tensions and get our communities and economy back on track,” Luhn, whose organization has about 6,300 members, said in a statement.
This story has been updated to add new information.
