White House Criticizes Governor Walz and Mayor Frey for Response to Immigration Protest at Minneapolis Church

The White House has strongly condemned a group of anti-ICE protesters who reportedly disrupted services at a Twin Cities church on Sunday, placing blame on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly inciting the unrest.

“There is no low these radical leftists won’t stoop to,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital on Monday. “Jacob Frey and Tim Walz have whipped these rioters into a frenzy and turned them loose to wreak havoc on Minneapolis.”

According to reports, dozens of demonstrators stormed into the Cities Church sanctuary in St. Paul during Sunday services, disrupting worship. The protesters claimed the pastor was a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official.

The Department of Justice swiftly announced plans to investigate the incident for potential federal civil rights violations. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon specifically cited concerns about “people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshipers.” Attorney General Pam Bondi added that “attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.”

Video footage circulating on social media appeared to show no local police presence during the church disruption. When contacted for comment, Minneapolis police redirected inquiries to the St. Paul Police Department, as the church falls within their jurisdiction.

The church incident is part of escalating tensions in the Twin Cities region following the deployment of federal agents to Minnesota in early January. The federal presence came in response to a massive fraud investigation that has resulted in dozens of arrests, particularly among members of Minneapolis’ Somali community.

Protests intensified after January 7, when a federal officer fatally shot protester Renee Good. Federal officials maintain the agent acted in self-defense after Good allegedly used her vehicle as a weapon. Some Democratic officials have characterized the shooting as a “murder” while criticizing the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

Mayor Frey rejected the Trump administration’s characterization of the immigration crackdown during a Sunday appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” arguing the surge of federal agents has terrorized residents rather than protected them.

“This is not about safety. What this is about is coming into our city by the thousands and terrorizing people simply because they’re Latino or Somali,” Frey said. “People in Minneapolis are speaking up. They’re speaking up peacefully. They’re standing up for their neighbors.”

The Department of Homeland Security has reported a dramatic increase in violence targeting ICE personnel. From January through November 2025, the agency documented 238 assaults on ICE law enforcement officers, compared to just 19 assaults during the same period in 2024—a 1,153% increase.

The political fallout from Minnesota’s fraud scandal has been significant. Earlier this month, Governor Walz announced he would not seek re-election, amid intensifying scrutiny over oversight failures during his tenure. While acknowledging wrongdoing occurred under his watch, Walz has accused Republicans of “sensationalizing” the issue.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has blamed Democratic rhetoric for the increased threats against immigration officers. “The Democrat Party has demeaned these individuals,” Leavitt said Thursday. “They’ve even referred to them as ‘Nazis’ and as ‘the Gestapo.’ And that is absolutely leading to the violence we’re seeing in the streets.”

The confrontations in Minnesota highlight the growing national tensions over immigration enforcement policy, with federal officials vowing to maintain operations while local leaders express concerns about community impacts. As investigations into both the fraud case and church disruption continue, the political divisions appear likely to intensify in the coming weeks.