Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has become a national face of opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown after the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot during an encounter with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Jan. 7, 2026. As anger spread, Frey publicly told federal agents to leave the city—an outburst that immediately drew national attention and sharp backlash from Republicans and the White House.
“I get why Frey’s angry, but I also respect that he told people not to turn it into riots,” junior Anya Abraham said. “If the goal is to protect communities, violence just gives politicians excuses,”
Protests continued this week, and tensions rose again Wednesday night when a federal agent shot and injured a man accused of assaulting the agent. Frey then urged protesters to go home and warned that escalating violence would only make the situation worse.
Minnesota leaders are also fighting back in court. Minneapolis and Saint Paul joined a federal lawsuit accusing DHS and ICE of unconstitutional tactics, including warrantless arrests and excessive force.
“When people think the system won’t investigate itself fairly, everything explodes,” art teacher Julie Martin said. “That’s why transparency matters, even when it’s uncomfortable.”
Students at Convent & Stuart Hall said the situation shows how fast a local crisis can turn into a national political battle. Others focused on Frey’s attempt to balance speaking out with keeping the city calm.
“It’s scary how quickly it went from one incident to protests everywhere,” sophomore Maggie Paige said. “It feels like people are grieving, but also bracing for what happens next.”
Some students said the bigger issue is trust that affects both in law enforcement and in the federal government’s immigration actions. Public opinion may be shifting too. Many Americans and students viewed Good’s killing as an inappropriate use of force, and more respondents said ICE actions are making cities less safe rather than safer.
“I hope to see more unity between different people of different political opinions in the future,” Abraham said. “I’m optimistic that we can work together to create peace.”
