Transcript: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Jan. 18, 2026

The next is the transcript of an interview with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Jan. 18, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by the mayor of Minneapolis, Mr. Jacob Frey. Good morning to you, Mr. Mayor. 

MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR JACOB FREY: Good morning. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: The secretary particularly known as on you to arrange a secure zone the place protests can be contained. Is that one thing you are taking a look at?

MAYOR FREY: First Modification speech shouldn’t be restricted to at least one park or one part of the town. You might be allowed to protest, as long as you are doing it peacefully. And by the best way, we have tens of hundreds of individuals in Minneapolis which can be grinning down the bear, which can be peacefully expressing their First Modification rights. So no, you’ll be able to’t have only one part of a metropolis. That is not the best way First Modification works.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I need to ask you plenty of issues about what’s occurring within the metropolis, however I simply need to get out of the best way these studies that are- have been within the press since Friday, that you just and Governor Tim Walz are below federal investigation. CBS reporting is that that is for alleged conspiracy to impede immigration brokers. The deputy lawyer common additionally stated earlier this week, he will cease you, quote, out of your terrorism. Have you ever acquired any subpoena or any official discover that you’re below investigation? And in that case, for what?

MAYOR FREY: We have now not acquired any official something at this level, and so, I can not touch upon what I do not find out about. That being stated, this complete dynamic is deeply regarding as a result of supposedly, they’d be coming for me and focusing on me for one thing that’s core and demanding to my job as mayor, and that’s talking for my residents and my constituents. That we’re at a spot proper now the place the Division of Justice or the federal authorities might be coming after senators and governors and mayors merely for talking for his or her respective constituencies and disagreeing with this federal administration- I imply, this sort of factor occurs in different international locations. This can’t occur in America.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, our reporting is it is impeding immigration brokers, however the specifics of that, we’d like to see some paperwork on from the administration. By way of what’s occurring in your metropolis, the Minnesota Nationwide Guard was mobilized Saturday by the state, which the police chief supported as potential help for his native regulation enforcement. They haven’t been deployed. Do you assume your metropolis wants them? And the way would you describe the protest this weekend?

MAYOR FREY: We’re doing the work to maintain individuals secure in our metropolis, and particularly, it’s our native cops. It’s the state of Minnesota and our governor. We’re doing every thing doable to maintain the peace, however this occupying power that has fairly actually invaded our metropolis. I imply, we have 600 cops within the metropolis of Minneapolis, and we’re speaking about 3,000 plus ICE brokers and border management which have are available. They are not making our metropolis safer. The truth is, our metropolis has been secure. Crime is down in just about each class and just about each neighborhood of the town. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: You stated occupying power, do not, do not you assume that is a- that is a bit a lot?

MAYOR FREY: I imply, look, you’ll be able to undergo no matter rhetorical flourish you need, however when you might have 3000 ICE brokers and border management come to the town, if you’ve acquired this supposed risk of 1500 navy coming to the town, yeah, that is very a lot what it seems like. Whenever you outnumber native cops 5 and 6 to at least one, that’s the vibe. And so the underside line is, if the aim have been security, this isn’t the way you get there. If the aim is security, I can provide the very antidote to a few of the violence that we’re seeing is have them depart.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, they argue, the administration that’s, that this can be a sanctuary county and a sanctuary metropolis, and they’re imposing federal immigration regulation, and that due to this fact that is known as for. That they are cleansing up a large number that the final administration created. I imply is- how do you prescribe on this unprecedented state of affairs for native and federal officers to work collectively right here? 

MAYOR FREY: We have now labored collectively. We do work collectively when that is about getting murderers and rapists and all the opposite dangerous stuff that Kristi Noem simply stated off the road. We have now labored with the DEA and the FBI. We have now labored with the ATF and the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace to drive down crime, get violent criminals off the streets and on the north facet, shootings are the bottom that they’ve ever been, I consider, on document. And so no person’s towards that. However that’s not this. This isn’t about security. What that is about is coming into our metropolis by the hundreds and terrorizing individuals just because they’re Latino or Somali, and yeah, individuals in Minneapolis are talking up. They’re talking up peacefully. They’re standing up for his or her neighbors. And this isn’t nearly resisting Trump. That is about loving and caring for the individuals that decision this metropolis residence. And it has been inspiring.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, on the ICE actions themselves, your lawyer common out in Minnesota, Keith Ellison, has requested Minnesotans to collect details about federal actions and put up them on his web site. What is the intent of these incident studies? And I perceive the- in principle what that is however in case you are saying that it’s not secure for civilians to be inserting themselves in enforcement operations and even surrounding enforcement operations, aren’t you asking them to do one thing that’s endangering them?

MAYOR FREY: No, civilians shouldn’t be concerned in enforcement operations, taking a mobile phone out and video taping what is going on on shouldn’t be enforcement, that is transparency. You already know, daylight may be one of the best disinfectant, and on this case, yeah, they’re disinfecting a few of the actually horrible issues which can be going down on our avenue. As a result of, , to the extent that ICE brokers are doing issues which can be unconstitutional, by the best way they’re, that is their alternative to ensure that it’s seen, that it’s judged, and that we get our day in courtroom.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, I believe that the entire nation is hoping for stability, and peace and safety. Mr. Mayor, thanks very a lot. We’ll be proper again.