Trump Calls on Congress to Ban 'Sanctuary' Policies After Fatal Minneapolis Clash

President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Congress to pass legislation ending so-called "sanctuary" jurisdiction policies, intensifying a national debate after federal agents fatally shot a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident during a tense confrontation.

In a Truth Social post Sunday evening, Trump wrote that he was "calling on the United States Congress to immediately pass Legislation to END Sanctuary Cities," and he pressed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other Democratic leaders to "formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence."

The post followed the Saturday shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, by federal agents. That incident renewed calls from Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey for the administration to withdraw the thousands of immigration enforcement officers it has sent to the state as part of "Operation Metro Surge."

State officials' demands grew louder after an earlier incident this month in which an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Goodin in her car. Minnesota Democrats say the surge of federal immigration agents has provoked disorder and escalated tensions in local communities.

Walz said last week that he had received a subpoena as part of an investigation after Trump posted a warning to state leaders: "THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!" Neither Walz’s nor Frey’s offices immediately responded to requests for comment on Trump’s latest post.

In his social media demand, Trump asked state and local leaders to turn over all unauthorized immigrants with active warrants or known criminal histories — including those currently held in jails, prisons or local custody — to federal authorities for immediate deportation. He also called on them to assist federal law enforcement in a nationwide immigration enforcement effort.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, appearing on CBS's Face The Nation, emphasized the limits of local authority:

"It's not on the Minneapolis Police Department or local law enforcement to hand folks over that are in jails," O'Hara said, noting that the city does not operate the county jail and that prisons are under state control. He added that the department is already "very, very... understaffed and overstretched."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) praised Trump's call on social media and pledged to introduce legislation this week to end sanctuary jurisdiction policies, which generally restrict local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. "As for my part, I will champion a legislative effort to end sanctuary city policies forever, which could lead to rational immigration reform," Graham wrote on X.

Supporters of the administration argue that local noncooperation has contributed to clashes between federal officers and residents. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, speaking on Fox News, criticized Minnesota leaders and said federal authorities would continue to act to protect officers and pursue individuals they deem criminal.

The administration has already taken steps to pressure jurisdictions that limit cooperation with immigration authorities. It has filed lawsuits against several Democratic-run states and cities, announced plans to withhold some federal funding beginning Feb. 1, and directed the Office of Management and Budget to review funding for 14 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., according to a POLITICO memo.

Although Minnesota has not enacted a formal sanctuary-state law, the Justice Department included it earlier in a list of targeted jurisdictions. Several cities and counties in Minnesota, including Minneapolis, have policies restricting municipal employees from assisting federal immigration enforcement.

Following Pretti's shooting, attorneys for Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul asked U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez in a Saturday-night filing to curtail the Department of Homeland Security's operation in the state while a court challenge seeking to block the operation proceeds.

An estimated 3,000 federal immigration agents have been sent to Minneapolis under the administration's "Operation Metro Surge," a large-scale enforcement initiative that has drawn strong opposition from local officials and Democratic leaders nationwide.