Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Socialist Minnesota City Council Member Complains About Dems Who Want To Calm Things Down

[Screenshot/CNN]

A Democratic Socialist city council member in Minnesota complained on Thursday that Democratic members in her state are calling on anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests to remain peaceful.

Robin Wonsley, who represents Minneapolis’ second ward, accused Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara on “CNN News Central” of refusing to protect the residents of the city by calling for peaceful protests. Following a second ICE-related shooting on Wednesday, Frey and O’Hara called on protesters to either protest peacefully or “go home.”

“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,'” Wonsley said. “‘We’re not going to take action either because our local leaders have not taken any action to actually protect their residents. We need you to stand down and allow ICE to do their jobs and do their jobs of shooting residents and expecting immunity to profile residents during traffic stops or on their way to take the bus to get to work. We want to allow ICE agents to do that job.'”

“Our residents are showing so much courage, and I’m glad that they’re out in our communities because they’re doing a lot more than elected officials like myself who were charged with delivering material changes in moments like this to truly get ICE out of Minnesota,” Wonsley continued. 

WATCH: 

Frey and O’Hara held a press conference on Wednesday to address an ICE-related shooting in Minneapolis after an agent got attacked by three alleged assailants with a shovel.

“This is not sustainable,” Frey said. “This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in, and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward, to keep people safe, to protect our neighbors, to maintain order.”

“We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own chaos, and I have seen thousands of people throughout our city peacefully protesting,” Frey continued. “For those that are peacefully protesting, I applaud you. For those that are taking the bait, you are not helping and you’re not helping the undocumented immigrants in our city. You are not helping the people that call this place home.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that an illegal Venezuelan national and two other individuals attacked an ICE agent with a snow shovel or broom stick while he attempted to escape a traffic stop, prompting the agent to fire a defense shot in the alleged assailant’s leg. The alleged assailant and the ICE officer are currently in the hospital, while the two other individuals are in custody, according to DHS.

Wonsley announced on Monday that she was taking action to pass an eviction moratorium for ICE agents, claiming that the agents were attacking residents throughout Minnesota.

“Without an eviction moratorium, thousands of vulnerable families are facing eviction as soon as February 1st. People around the country are looking to Minneapolis to see what we will do to support our immigrant neighbors in the face of ICE attacks. Let’s show them how it’s done,” Wonsley said.

Anti-ICE sentiments have escalated throughout Minnesota in response to the death of Renee Good, who died after she hit an ICE agent with her vehicle and caused him to suffer from internal bleeding. ICE agents ordered her to exit her car while she blocked the street, followed by her backing up her car slightly and accelerating forward. The officer hit by the car fired his gun into the windshield, which killed Good instantly.

President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act on Thursday if protesters prevented federal law enforcement from conducting operations. His administration sent roughly 1,000 additional agents to Minnesota to allow agents to conduct their operations safely.

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accused the administration on Wednesday of occupying his state and of raining terror on illegal immigrants and racial minorities. He urged Minnesotans to film ICE agents during their operations, despite DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s previous warnings that filming officers endangers their safety.