Vance: Just Cooperate and There’ll Be Less ICE ‘Chaos’

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that restoring calm amid recent unrest in Minneapolis will require greater cooperation from Democratic state and local leaders, not a reduction in the federal law-enforcement presence.

Speaking during a visit to the city following a roundtable discussion with business leaders and law-enforcement officials, Vance argued that confrontations surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations would diminish if local and state officials worked more closely with the Trump administration’s immigration policies, according to NBC News.

“I don’t need [Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz or [Minneapolis Mayor] Jacob Frey to say they agree with JD Vance or Donald Trump on immigration,” Vance said. “What I do need them to do is empower their local officials to help our federal officials out,” adding that greater coordination would make enforcement efforts “less chaotic” and “more targeted.”

Vance’s visit comes amid heightened tensions following the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. The incident has sparked protests and increased scrutiny of federal enforcement tactics. President Trump and Vice President Vance have said Good had ties to left-wing protest groups and was threatening officers as they approached her vehicle, though no conclusive evidence has been publicly released.

Vance said the shooting remains under federal investigation and rejected criticism of his earlier statement that Ross had “absolute immunity.” He called it “absurd” to suggest the administration believes law-enforcement officers who break the law are exempt from accountability.

Acknowledging that ICE and other federal officers “make some mistakes sometimes,” Vance said video evidence occasionally shows misconduct but emphasized that “99%” of officers are “doing everything right” while operating under intense pressure. He condemned what he described as “a very few far-left agitators” and urged critics of President Trump’s immigration policies to pursue change through elections or public debate rather than violence.

“If you assault a law-enforcement officer,” Vance warned, “the Trump administration and the Department of Justice is going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

Governor Walz responded by saying he agreed that “the temperature needs to be turned down,” but argued that de-escalation can only occur if ICE withdraws from the city, according to CBS News. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara also warned Thursday that the situation risks becoming “explosive,” CNN reported.

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