By Rob Meyne
- February 4, 2026
- 3-min read
All of 49 states and their big city mayors are currently not encouraging demonstrators to interfere with police officers. They are the same states without deaths attributable to ICE encounters with protestors.
Texas and Florida, to name two, have had many more arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records than Minnesota. In those states, there have been zero related violent encounters.
How can this be so? Simple: Texas and Florida are enforcing the law, working hand in hand with federal authorities, while Minnesota is not. Minnesota has anointed itself as a sanctuary state, and Minneapolis a sanctuary city. They have unilaterally decided they, and their citizens, don’t have to follow the law. Being a “sanctuary” from federal law is most notable because it is a thing that does not exist.
States and cities do not have the Constitutional authority to determine which laws they will follow. They might as well announce they are two-headed manatees as sanctuaries. It is just as true and just as legally binding.
“Sanctuary” is a made-up term, in the legal sense, and doesn’t exist in the U. S. You do not get to decide which laws you will obey. It doesn’t work that way.
Our federal laws are not the Golden Corral of politics; you don’t get to pick and choose. Calling a city a “sanctuary” tells us a lot about their priorities, but it doesn’t mean a thing in regard to the law.
Any time a person seeks out confrontation with law enforcement, harasses them, spits on them, damages their vehicles, swears at them, or otherwise interferes, bad things can happen. It is not a smart or legal thing to do.
There is no reasonable person, adult, parent, etc., who would advise a child in their care to interfere with police. Ever. Why is it reasonable for a governor or mayor to do?
Walz and Frey have openly encouraged people to interfere with law enforcement. And hundreds of thousands of dollars from far-left groups has been spent to equip and encourage the protestors. The resultant blood is on their hands. Not exclusively, but inarguably.
No reasonable person defends the killing of Pretti and Good. Their deaths were tragic and avoidable. That doesn’t make ICE agents hateful or the victims blameless.
None of us can put ourselves in the position of the officers on the front line. They take daily, consistent abuse and threats from citizens and politicians who call them the Gestapo and Nazis.
The issue in Minnesota is not free speech. No one is challenging the free speech rights of Minnesotans. They have a right to appear, to march, to chant, carry signs, and protest. I actually kind of like it when people protest. That is what freedom looks like. However, they do not have the right to physically confront police. Any rational person understands that.
People have said Pretti died because he was exercising his free speech. That is a lie, and the people who say that know they are lying.
This much is reasonable and ought to be ground on which we can unite:
- The deaths in Minnesota are tragedies. We should all tone down our rhetoric, and all sides should work to prevent more deaths.
Free speech is our most important right and we must protect it.
No one has the right to interfere with law enforcement.
Citizens and public officials all have a duty to obey, respect, and support the law.
Anyone who can’t agree with those sensible principles has lost their right to a place at the table of rational debate.
The shootings in Minnesota are being investigated, as they should be. Looking ahead, we need reason and accountability from the protestors, the police, public officials, and everyone else. As long as Minnesota’s leaders continue to pretend they are above the law this situation will remain dangerous.
It is notable that the Trump Administration, and federal law enforcement, support all the above positions. The state of Minnesota, city of Minneapolis, anti-ICE protestors and their wealthy enablers do not. Who is being more reasonable?
