At a CNN town hall, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey reaffirmed the city's sanctuary policies and demanded the federal immigration operation in the Twin Cities be scaled back. He urged state-led investigations into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and defended local police priorities on violent crime and community safety. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara criticized federal agents' tactics, and Attorney General Keith Ellison said officials still do not know the names of the agents involved in Pretti's killing. Republican lawmakers said responsibility for the unrest is shared among federal, state and local leaders.
Frey Presses For Federal Agents’ Exit As Minneapolis Wrestles With Deadly Clashes
A CNN Town Hall in Minneapolis on January 28, 2026. - Austin Steele/CNN
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey used a CNN town hall Wednesday night to reaffirm the city's sanctuary policies and to renew his demand that federal immigration agents leave Minneapolis amid rising tensions after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Frey’s Demands And Conversations With Washington
Frey described a phone call with President Donald Trump as "productive" and "collegial," but said the conversation did not change his position: he wants the large federal immigration operation in the Twin Cities drawn down and for state authorities to lead the investigations into the deaths of Good and Pretti. He said he does not trust what he characterized as a federal government that reached early conclusions—labeling the victims as domestic terrorists and calling the incidents acts of self-defense.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara speaks during a CNN Town Hall in Minneapolis on January 28, 2026. - Austin Steele/CNN
At the town hall Frey said he pressed Tom Homan, the administration official sent to Minnesota to oversee the federal response, for a rapid end to the federal operation. While he said there was a "general consensus that the present status needs to change," officials did not set a timeline and Frey cautioned, "I'll believe it when I see it."
Sanctuary Policy And Public Safety
Frey emphasized that Minneapolis' sanctuary policies are a "safety strategy" designed to ensure undocumented residents feel safe calling 911 without fearing deportation. He argued local police should focus on violent crime—homicides, carjackings—and investigations that protect the community rather than spending time on immigration enforcement.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks during a CNN Town Hall in Minneapolis on January 28, 2026. - Austin Steele/CNN
"Importantly, when you're trying to catch a murderer or a rapist, the first question you ask is not, 'Where are you from?'" Frey said. "If they committed a serious crime, we investigate and partner to do so."
Federal Agents, Local Police And Clashes
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara sharply criticized federal immigration agents' tactics, saying viral videos of encounters show "questionable" and potentially unsafe methods for both agents and community members. He contrasted that with Minneapolis police practice, which he said places "a very strong emphasis on trying to deescalate situations whenever possible." O'Hara added that the federal approach sometimes appears uncoordinated and reminiscent of policing from decades past.
New Video, Ongoing Questions
During the town hall, Frey viewed newly surfaced video of a prior altercation in which Alex Pretti was shown kicking a law enforcement vehicle's taillight before being tackled. Frey said that prior incident—if accurately depicted—does not justify Pretti's killing more than a week later and called for a full accounting of the circumstances that led directly to the shooting.
Republican Minnesota lawmakers State Reps. Nolan West and Elliott Engen as well as State Sen. Michael Holmstrom join a CNN Town Hall in Minneapolis on January 28, 2026. - Austin Steele/CNN
Political Reactions
Three Republican state lawmakers at the event said responsibility for the unrest is shared among federal, state and local leaders. While they criticized local officials' handling of the situation, some also faulted federal agents for contributing to clashes and negative rhetoric on both sides.
Attorney General’s Concerns
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said state officials still do not know the names of the federal agents involved in the incident that left Pretti dead and called the federal refusal to release those names "an absurdity" and "feels like a cover-up." Ellison said Minnesota has sought court orders to protect evidence and reiterated that anyone who commits a crime in the state can be charged and held accountable.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison during a CNN Town Hall in Minneapolis on Wedneday, January 28. - Austin Steele/CNN
Ellison also rejected a claim by commentator J.D. Vance—voiced after Renee Good's killing—that federal immigration agents enjoy "absolute immunity," saying that assertion is incorrect and that agents can be held accountable if they broke the law.
This report will be updated as officials release more information and investigations progress.
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