Tag: minnesota

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is Suddenly Concerned About His City’s Sanctuary Based Economy 

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has a new excuse for wanting ICE to leave the city. He claims the presence of ICE is disrupting the city’s economy.

Back in 2020, when BLM activists and Antifa were quite literally burning the city down, do you recall Mayor Frey releasing this type of message?

It’s apparently not a problem for the small business owners of Minneapolis to be completely terrorized by left wing radicals, but ICE agents enforcing federal immigration law is just a bridge too far.

Breitbart News makes another great point about this. Through his sanctuary city policy, Frey has allowed the city’s economy to become sanctuary based. The enforcement of immigration law is actually bad for the city because of this:

Minneapolis Mayor: Law Enforcement Wrecks My Sanctuary City Economy

Frey’s complaint is plausible because Democrats have built the city’s economy on a peculiar institution — the government’s long-term delivery of many foreign workers, consumers, and renters. That historically bizarre foundation is fundamentally different from — and corrosive too — the typical free, level, and uniform marketplace rules that govern American citizens, whether they are employers or employees.

Minneapolis’s resulting “Sanctuary City Economy” enables and worsens many civic problems, including a high share of lower-productivity workers, and the conflicts caused by having residents with illegal, uncertain, or subsidiary legal status.

The city also struggles with two-jurisdiction communities, corrupt business practices, politicized agencies, patronage politics, high taxes, a pay-to-play political machine, scare politics, the loss of high-productivity jobs, large wealth disparities, private regulation, vigilante crime, low-income ethnic enclaves, political instability, and a pro-establishment media.

And of course, Frey has nothing to say about left wing radicals setting up their own checkpoints in the city, This can’t be good for the local economy.

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Inside Minneapolis’s ICE Watch Network

In less than a month, two “ICE watchers” have been shot and killed by immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis. On January 24, a federal agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a Veterans Affairs ICU nurse. His death follows that of Renée Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, who was killed on January 7.

Both Pretti and Good participated in “ICE watching,” an anti-immigration-enforcement tactic that can involve tracking ICE agents, filming arrests, and alerting other activists of enforcement actions. While participants frame ICE watching as a “community safety” measure, these tactics often place untrained civilians in direct, high-stakes confrontation with armed federal agents.

In Minneapolis, one key organizer of these activities is “Defend the 612.” The group, the membership of which apparently included Renee Good, oversees a massive network of Signal chats dedicated to monitoring and protesting ICE activity. It has become the beating heart of the city’s resistance to federal immigration enforcement. (The group’s name refers to the Minneapolis area code.)

City Journal reviewed Defend the 612’s trainings, entered its Signal network, and traced its organizational support. Our reporting reveals that members and related officials have encouraged protesters to impede law enforcement; pushed civilians toward legally and physically risky confrontations; and helped mobilize a counterprotest that turned violent.

The group’s growth threatens to stoke the city’s already-raging fire.

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Noem directs federal officers in Minneapolis to immediately start wearing body cameras

omeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that the Trump administration is deploying body cameras for every federal agent in Minneapolis after two protesters were killed during clashes with agents in the city last month. 

Minneapolis has been a hotspot for Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the wake of revelations of large-scale public fraud linked to the Somali expat community in the state, which has prompted anti-ICE riots in the city.

Noem said that the order was made in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.

“Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,” Noem said in a post on X. “As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide. We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country. The most transparent administration in American history—thank you [President Trump]. Make America Safe Again.”

The move comes as congressional Democrats push Republicans to include body cameras as part of their demands to pass a DHS funding bill this week. Democrats are also calling for the legislation to include requiring judicial warrants for immigration arrests, a ban on agents using masks while on duty and creating a “uniform code of conduct and accountability.”

The move also comes after a federal judge in Chicago last year ordered federal agents to wear body cameras, following the agency’s use of tear gas against protesters.

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ICE WARS: Minneapolis Insurgents Set Up Barricades; Block Cars, Run License Plates, Check IDs

Insurgents in Minneapolis barricaded several streets this weekend with “ICE filter” checkpoints, stopping cars to check license plates and IDs to prevent federal immigration enforcement operations.

Minneapolis Crime Watch posted photos from Sunday’s neighborhood ICE Block party with details on the location and a plea for the local government to do something, “Submitted from south Minneapolis – Agitators have set up roadblocks and are checking people’s ID who try to pass through the area from 32nd to 34th and Cedar Ave. This is absurd. Contact @MayorFrey and @MplsPDChief and tell them to shut this down.”

An account called Minneapolis Spring posted video from the insurgent checkpoint, “WATCH: Community defenders stop an out of state vehicle at the filter blockade, run the plate through a database, and confirm whether the vehicle is affiliated with abductors before letting it through.”

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Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting

The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

The records viewed by ProPublica list Ochoa, 43, and Gutierrez, 35, as the shooters during the deadly encounter last weekend that left Pretti dead and ignited massive protests and calls for criminal investigations.

Both men were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement dragnet launched in December that sent scores of armed and masked agents across the city.

CBP, which employs both men, has so far refused to release their names and has disclosed few other facts about the deadly incident, which came days after a different immigration agent shot and killed another Minneapolis protester, a 37-year-old mother of three named Renee Good.

Pretti’s killing, and the subsequent secrecy surrounding the agents involved, comes as the country confronts the consequences of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown. The sweeps in cities across the country have been marked by scenes of violence, against immigrants and U.S. citizens, by agents allowed to hide their identities with masks — an almost unheard of practice in law enforcement. As a result, the public has been kept from one of the chief ways it has to hold officers involved in such altercations accountable: their identity.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for a transparent investigation into the killing of Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse working at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.

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CCP-Linked Figure Caught Bankrolling Anti-ICE Agitators Through Shady Network

As clashes between agitators and federal law enforcement intensify in Minneapolis, the money trail behind the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unrest is starting to surface.

Investigators and congressional Republicans are zeroing in on a wealthy American expat living in China who has been linked to a web of dark money groups accused of fueling far-left activism tied to Chinese Communist Party interests.

A Fox News Digital investigation this week identified several organizations acting as the primary engines behind the Minneapolis unrest, mobilizing protesters and coordinating messaging across multiple platforms to push demonstrations in Minnesota and beyond. Among the most prominent are the Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum.

Both groups have been heavily subsidized by former tech executive Neville Roy Singham, according to media reports and congressional probes. Singham, a multimillionaire who sold his IT consulting firm in 2017 for $785 million, relocated to Shanghai and has largely remained out of reach of U.S. authorities.

A former federal prosecutor told Fox News Digital that Singham’s move to China effectively shields him from subpoenas, allowing his funding network to operate with little accountability.

Singham was the subject of a 2023 New York Times investigation that detailed his alleged ties to CCP-aligned propaganda efforts and his role in funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into opaque nonprofit organizations in the U.S. The report said more than a quarter-billion dollars had flowed through entities with vague names, minimal disclosures and mailing addresses tied to commercial mailboxes.

The 71-year-old U.S. citizen reportedly shares office space in Shanghai with the Maku Group, a media company he funds that promotes pro-CCP messaging, including efforts to “tell China’s story well.”

Singham’s name has surfaced in federal investigations for decades. The FBI probed him in 1974 for potentially being “engaged in activities inimical to U.S. interests,” according to records cited by lawmakers.

In 2025, Singham and organizations tied to his funding have faced mounting scrutiny from House and Senate committees. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., launched a House Oversight investigation last year into Singham’s alleged role in financing anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.

“Mr. Singham, who resides in the People’s Republic of China, has a long track-record of assisting far-left entities, such as Code Pink, that oppose U.S. interests and support U.S. adversaries,” lawmakers wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Oversight Committee also flagged the Party for Socialism and Liberation as an organizer of “destructive protests and civil unrest,” pointing directly to Singham’s financial backing. The group did not respond to requests for comment.

The People’s Forum, another alleged organizer in Minneapolis, has drawn similar attention. In 2024, the House Ways and Means Committee questioned the IRS about tax-exempt groups promoting CCP propaganda, naming The People’s Forum in its inquiry.

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RUMOR: Amy Klobuchar Running for Minnesota Governor, Will Appoint Tim Walz to Her Vacant Senate Seat 

Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar is running for governor of Minnesota to succeed Tim Walz. This is not a rumor. It has been widely reported.

From The Hill:

Klobuchar launches bid for Minnesota governor

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Thursday officially threw her hat in the ring to run for governor of Minnesota.

“Minnesotans, we’ve been through a lot,” she wrote on the social platform X. “And I believe this moment calls for grit, resilience, and faith in each other. I believe we must stand up for what’s right. And fix what’s wrong. Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Governor.”

Klobuchar, in a video message, referred to the June assassination of state Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (D), a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that left two children dead and more than a dozen injured, and the fatal shootings of residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officials this month, as part of what the state’s residents have “been through.”

“Three thousand [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents on our streets and in our towns, sent by an administration that relishes division,” she added, referring to President Trump.

The aspect of this story that is not being reported, is the belief by many that if Klobuchar wins the race for governor, she will appoint Tim Walz to fill her vacant senate seat.

Under such an arrangement, Klobuchar and Walz would just be switching seats. Journalist Liz Collin of Minnesota talked about this on Watters’ World last night.

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FBI Takes Over Investigation of Alex Pretti Shooting

The FBI is now leading the probe into the shooting of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis resident killed Saturday by Border Patrol officers, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem first disclosed the shift during a Fox News interview Thursday evening. Her department said earlier this week that Homeland Security Investigations, a unit within the department, would be heading the investigation.

“We will continue to follow the investigation that the FBI is leading and giving them all the information that they need to bring that to conclusion, and make sure that the American people know the truth of the situation and how we can go forward and continue to protect the American people,” Noem said, speaking to Fox host Sean Hannity.

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Friday that the FBI will lead the Pretti probe and that HSI will support them. Separately, Customs and Border Protection, which is part of DHS, is doing its own internal investigation into the shooting, during which two officers opened fire on Pretti.

DHS did not immediately respond to questions about when the change was made or why. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was also not immediately clear whether the FBI would now share information and evidence with Minnesota state investigators, who have thus far been frozen out of the federal probe.

In the same interview, Noem appeared to distance herself from statements she made shortly after the shooting, claiming Pretti had brandished a handgun and aggressively approached officers.

Multiple videos that emerged of the shooting contradicted that claim, showing the intensive care nurse had only his mobile phone in his hand as officers tackled him to the ground, with one removing a handgun from the back of Pretti’s pants as another officer began firing shots into his back.

Pretti had a state permit to legally carry a concealed firearm. At no point did he appear to reach for it, the videos showed.

“I know you realize that situation was very chaotic, and that we were being relayed information from on the ground from CBP agents and officers that were there,” Noem said during the interview with Hannity on Thursday. “We were using the best information we had at the time, seeking to be transparent with the American people and get them what we knew to be true on the ground.”

The change comes after two other videos emerged Wednesday of an earlier altercation between Pretti and federal immigration officers 11 days before his death.

The Jan. 13 videos show Pretti in a winter coat, yelling at federal vehicles and at one point appearing to spit before kicking out the taillight of one vehicle. A struggle ensues between Pretti and several officers, during which he is forced to the ground. Pretti’s winter coat comes off, and he either breaks free or the officers let him go and he scurries away.

When he turns his back to the camera, what appears to be a handgun is visible in his waistband. At no point do the videos show Pretti reaching for the gun, and it is not clear whether federal agents saw it.

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MSNBC Caught Airbrushing Alex Pretti into Male Model to Milk Sympathy: Joe Rogan Calls BS!

Podcast host Joe Rogan and commentator Andrew Wilson criticized what they described as deliberate image manipulation by major media outlets during a recent exchange, accusing networks of altering appearances to shape public perception.

The discussion centered on a comparison between how MSNBC allegedly edited an image of a man involved in a controversial shooting and how CNN portrayed Rogan himself during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Did you see what MSNBC did to his image?” Rogan asked.

“Yeah. Where they gussied it up,” Wilson replied.

Rogan argued that MSNBC’s treatment of the image stood in stark contrast to his own experience with CNN, which he said altered his appearance in an unflattering way during coverage related to COVID.

“Basically they did the opposite of what CNN did to me. You know, CNN during the covid times, turned me green, and they made me ugly and look like I was dying, and they made him handsome. So people would be more sympathetic to him getting shot, which is kind of wild, like, are ugly people less valuable to MSNBC?” Rogan said.

Wilson responded dryly, “Less marketable.”

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The Minneapolis Shootings Underline the Advantages of Body Cameras, Which DHS Has Been Slow To Adopt

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reviewing body camera footage of the encounter that culminated in Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti’s death on Saturday. That footage could help clarify the circumstances in which a Border Patrol agent and a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer fatally shot Pretti.

When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross killed Minneapolis protester Renee Good on January 7, by contrast, he used his cellphone rather than a body camera to record the encounter. Although Vice President J.D. Vance claimed the resulting video confirmed that Ross shot Good in self-defense, it does not actually show what was happening when Ross fired his gun. It is not clear whether other ICE agents at the scene were wearing body cameras, but it seems unlikely, since the local ICE office does not have any.

Both incidents underline the importance of body cameras in resolving questions about the use of force by law enforcement officers. But although body cameras have been widely adopted by state and local law enforcement agencies, their use by DHS personnel is spotty and inconsistent. That could change as a result of negotiations between the Trump administration and Democratic legislators, who are demanding several reforms, including a body camera mandate for all immigration agents, as a condition of approving DHS funding.

So far, the only publicly available video record of the Good and Pretti shootings consists of cellphone footage. In both cases, that evidence discredited the Trump administration’s initial justifications, which portrayed Good and Pretti as would-be murderers. The videos suggest that Good, contrary to what President Donald Trump and other officials said, did not deliberately try to run Ross over with her SUV. And they show that Pretti, who had a carry permit, never drew his pistol or “attacked those officers,” contrary to what DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed.

The cellphone videos nevertheless leave several questions unanswered. Some of those questions are legal: Did the officers reasonably believe, given “the totality of the circumstances,” that the use of deadly force was necessary to protect themselves, their colleagues, or the general public? But there are also policy questions: What sort of rules or training would help prevent outcomes like these?

Body camera footage could help answer those questions by providing a more complete record of the events preceding the shootings and by showing what the officers were seeing, hearing, and saying. Consider the account of the Pretti shooting that CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) offered in a report to Congress on Tuesday.

After “CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody,” the OPR report says, “Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, a [Border Patrol agent] yelled, ‘He’s got a gun!’ multiple times. Approximately five seconds later, a [Border Patrol agent] discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a [CBP officer] also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti. After the shooting, a [Border Patrol agent] advised he had possession of Pretti’s firearm. The [Border Patrol agent] subsequently cleared and secured Pretti’s firearm in his vehicle.”

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