Democratic Socialist city council member calls out Frey, Walz for not doing enough to stop ICE 'occupation'

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Democratic Socialist city council member calls out Frey, Walz for not doing enough to stop ICE 'occupation'

Robin Wonsley calls for eviction moratorium, says residents living under ICE 'occupation'

Hanna Panreck Fox News

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January 15, 2026 4:31pm EST

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Democratic socialist Minneapolis city council member calls on Walz, Frey to do more to protect residents

Democratic socialist Minneapolis city council member Robin Wonsley criticized elected officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz, to do more to protect their residents from ICE’s "occupation" in the city.

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Democratic Socialist Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsley condemned state and local leadership on Thursday, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, arguing they weren't doing enough to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) out of the city and protect residents.

Wonsley said she was introducing a resolution calling on Walz to declare an eviction moratorium in Minneapolis, arguing residents are living under ICE "occupation" and can’t travel through the city safely.

"So this is why we need the governor to also demonstrate an ounce of courage in this moment and make sure people can shelter in place as a protective measure while ICE is in our community. And then he, and our current mayor, and other elected officials need to do more as well," Wonsley said.

"Regular people who are going out every single day risking their lives while federal agents point flash grenades, tear gas canisters, and AK-47s in their faces. Residents are demonstrating a huge amount of courage right now. And it's not being matched by our elected officials to do everything we can to get ICE out of our community," Wonsley said.

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Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsley speaks to an angry crowd of bystanders near the scene where federal agents shot and killed a woman earlier on Portland Ave. in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

CNN host Sara Sidner asked Wonsley to respond to Frey urging residents not to take the bait when protesting, and saying that the current situation in the city was not sustainable.

"I'm confused as to what bait is being taken. And I think what people on the ground hear when our mayor, Mayor Jacob Frey, say those type of things, or when our chief of police says we need you to stand down, what people are hearing is, ‘Stand down, don’t take action. We're not going to take action either.' Because our local leaders have not taken any action to actually protect their residents," Wonsley said.

Frey's office and the governor's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

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The Minnesota governor stands at a podium addressing reporters inside the state capitol.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz holds a news conference at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 5, 2026. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

Wonsley praised Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for attempting to sue the Trump administration in an effort to limit ICE operations in the state.

The city council member also identified herself as the first Black Democratic Socialist city council member early in the interview after Sidner labeled her as a Democrat.

Walz called on President Donald Trump to turn down the temperature in a statement on X, and also posted a message to people in Minneapolis.

"I know this is scary. We can — we must — speak out loudly, urgently, but also peacefully. We cannot fan the flames of chaos. That’s what he wants," Walz said.

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Gov. Tim Walz

Jacob Frey, mayor of Minneapolis, during a news conference at City Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces that he would not be seeking reelection Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at a press conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

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Protests have erupted in Minneapolis in the wake of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier this month.

Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.

Democratic Socialist city council member calls out Frey, Walz for not doing enough to stop ICE 'occupation'