JD Vance is heading to Minneapolis this week to meet with ICE agents and local officials, framing his visit as an effort to “turn down the chaos” in the city. Speaking ahead of his arrival, Vance said, “My simple piece of advice to them is going to be, look, if you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop fighting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country. It’s not that hard.” He added that part of his goal is to “calm the tensions, to talk to people, to try to understand what we can do better.”
VP JD Vance in Ohio: "I'm headed from here to Minneapolis… My simple piece of advice to them is going to be, 'Look, if you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop fighting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country. It's not that… pic.twitter.com/AVMTRMreaW
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) January 22, 2026
The visit comes two weeks after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a Minnesota mother of three, by an ICE agent during an enforcement action, an incident that quickly went viral and reignited national debate over the agency’s practices under the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Good’s death has prompted widespread protests and heightened scrutiny of ICE operations in sanctuary cities like Minneapolis.
Vance’s trip is seen by critics as political theater. Richard Carlbom, chair of the Minnesota Democrats, accused Vance of using the city “as a political backdrop” to defend ICE, saying, “JD Vance isn’t serious about accountability. He’s here to do Trump’s dirty work: defending disgusting ICE actions like the tragic killing of Renee Good.”
"JD Vance isn’t serious about accountability. He’s here to do Trump’s dirty work: defending disgusting ICE actions like the tragic killing of Renee Good and using Minnesota as a political backdrop." – DFL Chair Richard Carlbom pic.twitter.com/JjddliFxTk
— Minnesota DFL (@MinnesotaDFL) January 22, 2026
The White House has framed Vance’s mission as highlighting the dangers of Minneapolis’ sanctuary city policies and celebrating ICE agents’ work to remove dangerous criminal immigrants from the streets. Ahead of his visit, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino claimed agents had been “violently assaulted by agitators and anarchists,” and hundreds of military police troops have been placed on alert following President Trump’s warning that he could invoke the Insurrection Act if local authorities do not restrain what he called attacks on ICE.
🚨 JUST IN: Leftist rioters are throwing FOOD at Commander Bovino as he visits a gas station in Minnesota
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 21, 2026
20-30 cars have been following him for TWO HOURS now
God Bless Bovino for REFUSING to back down despite the CONSTANT harassment 🙏🏻
🎥 @camhigby pic.twitter.com/NRBapzDMbR
Vance’s visit highlights the continued tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local authorities in sanctuary jurisdictions, set against the backdrop of national debates over ICE practices, border security, and political accountability.
