Minnesota Democrats have been playing defense since federal agents arrived in Minneapolis.
They thought their sanctuary city policies would protect them from accountability.
But Ron DeSantis just revealed one brutal truth about Minneapolis that left Democrats fuming.
DeSantis Exposes Minneapolis Leaders for Sabotaging Federal Operations
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slammed Minnesota leaders for actively sabotaging federal immigration enforcement and putting officers' lives at risk.
Speaking to the Florida Sheriffs Association, DeSantis singled out Minneapolis for creating chaos that makes routine law enforcement nearly impossible.
"What I see from some of those jurisdictions is basically a belief that there should be no real enforcement of immigration law," DeSantis said.
He called out Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for "inciting" resistance to federal operations.
Two civilians have been killed by federal agents in Minneapolis during immigration enforcement operations this month.
Renee Good died January 7 when an ICE agent fired three shots as her vehicle passed him.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse, was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agents January 24 while filming enforcement actions and helping a woman who had been pushed to the ground.
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DeSantis said politicians like Walz and Frey are deliberately creating an environment where federal officers have targets on their backs.
"If you work for the Department of Homeland Security, if you're an immigration officer, you know, they're putting a target on your back," DeSantis stated.
Minneapolis leaders are funding operations designed to prevent ICE from carrying out what voters demanded in the 2024 election.
"They're trying to put your likeness out. They want people to be able to come and target you," he added.
Florida Shows What Cooperation Actually Looks Like
Want to see the difference between a state that follows the law and one that sabotages it?
Florida signed 325 partnerships with ICE under the 287(g) program while Minneapolis won't even return ICE's phone calls.
DeSantis ordered every county sheriff and state agency to work with federal immigration enforcement.
The result? Florida collected more than $38 million in federal reimbursements and arrested over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens since April 2025.
Minnesota? They're letting criminals walk.
Minneapolis-area jails ignored ICE detainer requests 470 times since Trump took office.
That includes Victoria Harwell's killer — twice.
Hennepin County arrested the illegal alien for vehicular homicide in August 2024 after he killed Harwell.
ICE put a detainer on him.
The county released him anyway without telling ICE.
They arrested him again in May 2025 on the same charges.
ICE placed another detainer.
Released again without notification.
ICE finally grabbed him on the third attempt.
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/2016537578933993575?s=20
DeSantis Calls Out Minnesota's "Interposition"
DeSantis called the Minnesota situation exactly what it is: "interposition."
That's when state politicians actively block the federal government from enforcing legitimate laws.
"You have an election, you debate these issues. The laws are on the books, and they just believe that they should be able to opt out of that," DeSantis explained.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told protesters "To ICE, get the f*** out of Minneapolis" after watching video of the Renee Good shooting.
Governor Tim Walz called federal enforcement "the consequences of governance designed to generate fear, headlines and conflict."
He proclaimed January 9 "Renee Good Day" to honor the woman killed by federal agents.
Both refused to cooperate with Border Czar Tom Homan, who arrived in Minnesota this week after the two civilian deaths.
DeSantis pointed out the obvious: "If you don't like the fact that we have immigration laws, then you should have done a better job when you were in power to try to convince the public that what you wanted to do is right."
They lost that argument in November 2024.
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Biden's Open Border Created This Crisis
The violence in Minneapolis is the direct result of Biden's open border policies meeting Trump's enforcement crackdown.
DeSantis blamed Biden's border catastrophe for forcing Trump to deploy 2,000 agents to one city.
"You have one President open the border, there's no way to un-ring that bell," DeSantis said.
Operation Metro Surge is the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history.
More than 3,000 people have been arrested in Minneapolis since it began in December 2025.
The operation has disrupted businesses, forced schools into remote learning, and sparked violent protests.
Federal agents deployed tear gas after protesters threw objects at them and tried to block ICE operations.
DeSantis acknowledged even Florida has critics of his immigration enforcement stance.
"Look at a map of Florida. Look at election results. Red with blue dots, right?" DeSantis said.
But Florida made a determination through the Legislature about state policy.
"You do have a responsibility to be doing best efforts on that," he explained.
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In Florida, officials who refuse to cooperate with ICE face removal from office.
"If you act like Jacob Frey in Florida, then you get removed from your position," DeSantis told Fox News.
DeSantis also urged sympathy for federal agents operating in the hostile environment Minnesota politicians created.
"In these individual instances, which are tragic, we should insist on high standards for these officers," DeSantis said on Fox News. "But understand what they're facing. They're facing threats. People are going after their families just for enforcing the law."
Minnesota sanctuary policies created this mess.
And Ron DeSantis just made sure everyone knows exactly who's responsible.
Sources:
- A.G. Gancarski, "Ron DeSantis slams sanctuary jurisdictions like Minnesota for inciting violence, thwarting immigration law," Florida Politics, January 27, 2026.
- A.G. Gancarski, "Ron DeSantis urges 'sympathy' for ICE amid 'tragic' killings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti," Florida Politics, January 28, 2026.
- Nora Moriarty, "Ron DeSantis vows Florida will fire elected officials for Jacob Frey-like actions," Fox News, January 27, 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Renée Good," accessed January 29, 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Alex Pretti," accessed January 29, 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Operation Metro Surge," accessed January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "Mayor Frey's Sanctuary Policies Release Criminal Illegal Aliens From Jails Back onto Minneapolis Streets," January 14, 2026.
- Florida Governor's Office, "Governor Ron DeSantis Highlights Success of Florida-Federal Immigration Partnership," January 2026.
