Something remarkable is happening in Minneapolis, and it is making City Hall very nervous. CBP commander Gregory Bovino just threw open the doors to Minneapolis police officers who are tired of being undermined, smeared, and ordered to stand down by their own leadership. His message was simple and refreshing. If you want to work for an agency that actually has your back, ICE and Border Patrol are hiring.
Bovino said rank and file Minneapolis officers have been walking up to his agents in the street, thanking them for enforcing the law and deporting criminal illegals. Let that sink in. While the mayor and activists scream about oppression, the cops who actually patrol the city are showing support to federal agents. Bovino went a step further and said he would be happy to personally meet with any Minneapolis officers interested in joining ICE or Border Patrol. That is not bureaucratic fluff, that is leadership.
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2012575200060051544
The reaction online was explosive, and for good reason. This invitation exposes the growing fracture between Minneapolis leadership and its own police force. Mayor Jacob Frey has been openly hostile toward federal immigration enforcement, even going so far as to suggest local officers should resist ICE operations. That stunned even his own police chief, who clearly did not expect the quiet part to be said out loud.
Minneapolis Mayor Frey wants police officers "to fight ICE agents on the streets."
The chief of police's reaction is priceless… pic.twitter.com/OxcULwM5qW
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 15, 2026
And yes, the police chief is part of the problem too. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has taken a deeply political approach to policing, including reportedly instructing Somali immigrants to call local police if ICE attempts to arrest them. That is not neutrality. That is obstruction dressed up as compassion.
Regular cops see through it. They are the ones dealing with the crime, the gangs, and the chaos on the streets. They know who is causing the problems and who is actually trying to fix them. When those same officers start openly thanking federal agents in direct opposition to their mayor’s orders, it tells you everything you need to know.
The contrast between leadership styles could not be clearer. While Frey hides behind statements and press conferences, Bovino was out on the streets over the weekend, personally leading operations to clear out anti ICE protesters. Wearing a Border Patrol coat and flanked by security, he did not outsource authority or apologize for enforcing the law. He showed up.
That matters.
This is why officers are looking elsewhere. They want to do their jobs without being sacrificed to activists or political ambitions. They want leadership that values law, order, and public safety over hashtags and posturing.
If Minneapolis leadership keeps treating its police force like an enemy, they should not be surprised when those officers take Bovino up on his offer. ICE and Border Patrol are gaining credibility precisely because local governments are losing it.
At the end of the day, this is not about politics. It is about whether the people sworn to protect a city are allowed to do so. In Minneapolis, more and more officers are deciding the answer is no, and they are looking for a way out.
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