Mayor Zohran Mamdani is planning to meet with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in New York City where they’ll discuss how best to protect immigrant residents.
The meeting, expected on Thursday afternoon, comes as the Trump administration announced it’s ending its immigration enforcement blitz in Minnesota after more than two months.
The operation left two US citizens dead, triggered protests across the country and tanked support for one of President Donald Trump’s key policies.
“I look forward to getting to know him and also to speaking about the importance of protecting each one of our residents including the immigrants who call both of our cities home,” Mamdani said at a press conference where he confirmed the meeting.
Earlier this month, Mamdani signed an executive order strengthening protections for immigrants against federal enforcement, bolstering the city’s existing sanctuary policies. The new measures formalize the “Trump-proofing” strategy the mayor laid out in December, when he released a video urging undocumented immigrants to refuse entry to immigration enforcement agents, remain silent and legally record any encounters.
Frey, speaking to WCCO's Chad Hartman Thursday, said some businesses lost $10 to $20 million a week during what was dubbed "Operation Metro Surge" by the Trump Administration. Frey says the community support for them, and everyone else impacted, has been unwavering.
"The good news is it's not just a city, and our residents that are that incredibly strong backbone of support, I believe you're going to have a whole country that is rallying around this extraordinary resilience here in Minneapolis," Frey explained. "And the great comeback that we're going to see in the coming months."
Frey said Thursday that the operation has left the city's police department, and the entire community, reeling.
"Our communities are tired. I mean, I'm inspired by the tens of thousands of peaceful protesters and the people dropping off food and stand a watch over a daycare," Frey said. "I mean, I think this federal government, they thought that they were just going to come in and roll over us and man, our communities really stood up for each other, and it's just inspirational."