Trump Frustrated Over Immigration Messaging Amid Minnesota Chaos
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Key takeaways
- Trump seeks to reclaim the narrative on ICE enforcement despite chaotic protests in Minnesota.
- Officials warn of political and practical risks if the unrest spirals or embarrasses the administration.
- Polemics show mixed public perception: a CNN poll suggests concerns about safety and the impact of ICE actions.
- Discussions of drastic options exist (Insurrection Act) only as a last resort, with hesitancy.
- Local coordination with authorities is framed as crucial for reducing chaos and maintaining mission focus.
Shifting message
Trump has privately expressed frustration that the immigration narrative is getting lost amid the chaotic scenes in Minneapolis. He has sought to take control of the narrative, even staging an impromptu press conference on the anniversary of his first year in office and highlighting arrest mugshots to remind the public why ICE is pursuing deportations.
“They’re going to make mistakes sometimes. ICE is going to be too rough with somebody… or they’re going to make a mistake sometimes. It can happen. We feel terribly,”
a senior White House official told CNN as the president used arrest photos to underscore the crackdown’s aims.
White House officials say the push is about amplifying ICE’s achievements, not toning down the work, even as they acknowledge the Minneapolis protests complicate optics and risk public pushback.
“Lawful, targeted and focused”
Border Patrol and other federal agents argue their operations are lawful, targeted and focused, aimed at removing criminals who threaten Minneapolis neighborhoods. Yet protesters and some Republicans worry about the chaos surrounding arrests in urban areas with limited local-law enforcement coordination.
Gregory Bovino, a top Border Patrol official, defended the actions, emphasizing they are not random or political and are designed to make communities safer.
Analysts like Mark Krikorian suggest the administration could gain momentum by conveying a clear trade: let us do our jobs or risk losing public support as tensions rise.
A scandal, then a surge
As 2025 closed, the administration pivoted to a strategy of targeted enforcement, then pivoted again toward Minnesota amid a welfare-fraud scandal tied to the Somali community. In weeks, a woman described by the administration as impeding officers was fatally shot by an ICE officer, protesters clashed with federal agents, and more videos surfaced of agents asking people about their status.
The resulting clashes have intensified national attention and political scrutiny as Americans express mixed views on safety and the impact of deportation policies ahead of the midterms.
While some officials call for calm coordination with local authorities, the Trump team continues to calibrate messaging to balance enforcement with political goals.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/23/politics/minnesota-immigration-protests-trump-worries
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