US President Donald Trump renews his call to end Sanctuary Cities, presses Democratic leaders to cooperate on immigration enforcement, and confirms a federal review into the fatal Minneapolis shooting involving a Border Patrol officer.
US President Donald Trump has renewed his demand for a nationwide end to so-called “Sanctuary Cities,” intensifying his administration’s hardline stance on illegal immigration while also confirming a federal review into the fatal shooting of a man by a federal officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In a series of strongly worded posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump blamed Democratic leadership and the previous administration for what he described as an unprecedented surge in criminal migration into the United States. He argued that his return to the White House was driven by public frustration over border security and crime, and claimed his administration had already fulfilled its promise to seal the southern border.
“During the four years of Crooked Joe Biden and Democrat failed leadership, tens of millions of illegal alien criminals poured into our country,” Trump wrote, alleging that the influx included convicted murderers, rapists, kidnappers, drug traffickers, and terrorists. He offered no new evidence for the claim but said it underscored the urgency of his immigration agenda.
Trump described his electoral victory as a “historic landslide,” asserting that Republicans gained majorities in both the House and Senate because voters supported aggressive border enforcement. According to the president, the largest mass deportation effort in American history is now underway, targeting individuals he labeled as criminal undocumented immigrants.
He pointed to cooperation between federal agencies and Republican-led state and local governments as proof that his approach was working. Trump cited Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisiana, claiming that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 150,000 “criminal illegal aliens” over the past year without triggering protests, riots, or public unrest.
“Why?” Trump asked rhetorically. “Because local police and ICE are cooperating and working together.”
In contrast, Trump sharply criticized Democratic-led cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He accused them of deliberately obstructing enforcement operations and encouraging activists to interfere with federal officers.
“By doing this, Democrats are putting illegal alien criminals over taxpaying, law-abiding citizens,” Trump wrote, claiming that such policies had contributed to the deaths of two American citizens. He did not provide further details about those cases.
The president specifically called on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to formally cooperate with federal authorities. Trump demanded that state and local governments hand over all undocumented immigrants currently incarcerated, transfer custody of individuals arrested by local police, and assist federal agents in apprehending suspects wanted for crimes.
Trump also urged Congress to pass legislation to permanently ban Sanctuary Cities, arguing that American cities should serve as “safe sanctuaries for law-abiding American citizens only.” He framed his demands as matters of public safety and common sense, stating that his administration was waiting for Democrats to “do the right thing.”
The renewed immigration push comes as Trump’s administration faces growing scrutiny over enforcement operations in Minnesota, particularly following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive-care nurse, by a federal officer in Minneapolis over the weekend.
In a five-minute telephone interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said his administration was reviewing all aspects of the incident but declined to say whether the officer acted appropriately.
“We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination,” Trump said. “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it.”
However, Trump also suggested that Pretti’s actions contributed to the confrontation, claiming he was armed with a “very dangerous and unpredictable gun.” The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Pretti was carrying a 9mm semiautomatic handgun at the time of the incident.
Trump added that he did not support violence during protests, saying, “I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines.”
Federal authorities initially claimed Pretti “violently resisted” officers, but bystander video reviewed by The Wall Street Journal appeared to contradict that account. Pretti was reportedly filming Border Patrol agents on a public street when the shooting occurred, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The president also indicated that immigration enforcement officers may eventually withdraw from the Minneapolis area, saying they had done a “phenomenal job.” However, he noted that a separate federal presence would remain in connection with an ongoing financial fraud investigation in Minnesota.
Trump cited an alleged welfare-fraud case as justification for intensified enforcement, calling it “the biggest fraud anyone has seen” and suggesting similar investigations in California could be even larger.
As investigations continue, the Minneapolis shooting has intensified national debate over federal immigration enforcement, police accountability, and the future of Sanctuary City policies under Trump’s renewed presidency.
