Vance defends ICE in Minneapolis, says Insurrection Act isn’t needed

MINNEAPOLIS – Vice President JD Vance delivered a forceful defense of Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid intense backlash here following an ICE-involved shooting in early January, declaring ICE agents are doing an “incredible job.”

At the same time, the vice president said during a visit Thursday that he wants to ease tensions with state and local officials. Vance added that President Donald Trump is not considering to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.

“I wanted to show some support for these guys who frankly are operating in a very, very tough environment,” Vance said standing in front of federal agents with ICE SUVs flanking his podium.

Vance and Trump have rallied around ICE after an officer shot and killed Renee Good, 37, in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, sparking anti-ICE demonstrations across the country and calls by Minneapolis leaders for the agency to leave their city.

With roughly a dozen anti-ICE protesters gathered outside, Vance met with ICE officers at the Royalston Square event center and held a roundtable with local leaders, saying he was trying to “understand a little bit better what’s going on so that we can tone down the temperature a little bit.”

Trump has threatened to Invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, which gives him authority to deploy U.S. troops to suppress rebellions and civil unrest or when federal laws are being obstructed.

Pressed on whether he has seen or heard anything during his trip that would warrant an Insurrection Act declaration, Vance said “right now we don’t think that we need that.”

“Now the president could change his mind, of course, things could get worse,” Vance added.

Vance arrived in Minneapolis amid a wave of unrest following Good’s death. Local leaders have strongly criticized ICE, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calling for the agency to leave the city.

Frey posted a video on social media Thursday that does not mention Vance but pushes back on what he said is a narrative from the federal government “that Minneapolis is this horrible place.”

“What I see instead has been something entirely different, it’s Minneapolis at its best,” Frey said.

Anti-ICE protesters have clashed with federal agents in Minneapolis since Good’s death. Community organizers are planning a statewide day of action on Friday, calling for people to stay home from work and school and avoid shopping.

Vance said he wants to “reduce the chaos” and said Trump instructed him to “meet these guys halfway.” Yet he also lashed out at local officials, blaming the discord in the city on what he described as their lack of cooperation with federal authorities.

“The reason why things have gotten so out of hand is because of failure of cooperation between the state and local authorities and what these guys are trying to do,” Vance said.

While calling for cooperation from local officials, Vance said he had not spoken with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during the trip. Vance and Trump have clashed with Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2024.

“If Gov. Walz wants to call me we’ll absolutely continue talking,” Vance said.

Walz said in a social media post after Vance’s speech that he was glad “the Vice President agrees the temperature needs to be turned down, but actions speak louder than words.”

“We don’t need 3,000 ice agents in our streets … take the show of force off the streets and partner with the state on targeted enforcement of violent offenders instead of random, aggressive confrontation,” Walz added.

Minnesota officials have been sparring with the Trump administration through public statements and in court.

The Justice Department launched an investigation into Walz and Frey focused on whether they impeded federal immigration efforts, recently issuing them subpoenas. Walz called the investigation a “partisan distraction” in a statement Tuesday.

“Minnesota will not be intimidated into silence and neither will I,” Walz said.

Minnesota and the Twin Cities filed a lawsuit aimed at blocking the deployment of immigration agents. A federal court ordered agents to stop using aggressive tactics in Minnesota, but the order was paused by an appellate court.

The legal battles and war of words between local and federal officials has mirrored the contentious scene on the ground in the state. Since Good’s shooting, there have been a string of controversial incidents, including an anti-ICE protest in a church that recently resulted in two arrests and the detainment of four students in a Minneapolis suburb, including a five-year-old.

Frey highlighted Thursday the arrest of church protesters and the five-year-old’s detention in social media posts slamming the federal government. Vance said he wants more church protesters arrested, and defended the five-year-old’s detention, noting the agency was targeting his father.

“If the argument is that you can’t arrest people who have violated the laws because they have children then every single parent is going to be completely given immunity from ever being the subject of law enforcement,” Vance said.

Doug Loon, president and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, said he was among those who met with Vance on Thursday. Loon said deescalating tensions is in the best interest of Minnesota’s business community.

“Our goal is clear: to help engage federal and Minnesota public officials deescalate the current situation and put our communities and economy back on track,” Loon, whose organization has about 6,300 members, wrote in a statement.