Trump signals interest in easing tensions, but Minneapolis sees little change on the streets

MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after a second deadly shooting by federal immigration agents, but there was little evidence Wednesday of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters.

The strain was evident when Trump made a leadership change by sending his top border adviser to Minnesota to take charge of the immigration crackdown. That was followed by seemingly conciliatory remarks about the Democratic governor and mayor.

Trump said he and Gov. Tim Walz, whom he criticized for weeks, were on ''a similar wavelength'' following a phone call. After a conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, the president praised the discussion and declared that ''lots of progress is being made.''

But on city streets, there were few signs of a shift. Immigration enforcement operations and confrontations with activists continued Wednesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

A group of protesters blew whistles and pointed out federal officers in a vehicle on a north Minneapolis street. When the officers' vehicle moved, a small convoy of activists followed in their cars for a few blocks until the officers stopped again.

Associated Press journalists were in the neighborhood covering the enforcement actions. When the journalists got out of their car to document the encounter, officers with the federal Bureau of Prisons pushed one of them, threatened them with arrest and told them to get back in their car despite the reporters' identifying themselves as media.

Officers from multiple federal agencies have been involved in the enforcement operations. From their car, the AP journalists saw at least one person being pepper sprayed and one detained, though it was unclear if that person was the target of the operation or a protester. Agents also broke car windows.

Immigrants are ‘still very worried'

Many immigrant families are still fearful of leaving their homes, and Latino businesses are still closed, according to Daniel Hernandez, who owns the Minneapolis grocery store Colonial Market. He also runs a popular Facebook page geared toward informing the Hispanic community in the Twin Cities.

While Colonial Market is open, all but one of the dozen immigrant-run businesses that rented space inside to sell clothes, jewelry and toys have closed since late December, and none has plans to reopen, Hernandez said.

''The reality is the community is still very worried and afraid,'' Hernandez said.

Hernandez referenced Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who helped lead the administration's crackdown in the Twin Cities and who has reportedly been assigned elsewhere.

Overall, the enforcement activity in Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs on Tuesday appeared similar to recent weeks. As before, most of the enforcement did not result in major confrontations with activists, who said they were monitoring enforcement through social media and chats on messaging apps.

The enforcement extended to the city's Ecuadorian consulate, where a federal law enforcement officer tried to enter before being blocked by employees.

Meanwhile, Trump said in a social media post that the mayor was ''PLAYING WITH FIRE'' by not participating in the enforcement efforts.

Veteran visits sidewalk memorial

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Donnie McMillan placed a cardboard sign reading ''In remembrance of my angel'' at the makeshift memorial where Alex Pretti was shot.

''I feel like I've lost an angel right here,'' the disabled veteran said, pointing to the growing sidewalk memorial covered in flowers, candles and signs.

''This is not the way we should operate,'' added McMillan, who said he served in Vietnam and then in the military police for more than a decade. ''I respect everybody, but I respect my angel more, and now he's no longer with us.''

Omar sprayed at town hall meeting

In other developments, a man confronted Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall meeting and sprayed her with a strong-smelling substance as she denounced the administration. He was tackled and identified by police as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, a convicted felon who had made online posts supportive of Trump.

Minnesota court records show Kazmierczak was convicted of auto theft in 1989 and has multiple arrests for driving under the influence, along with a slew of traffic offenses. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Omar continued speaking for about 25 minutes after the man was ushered out by security, saying she would not be intimidated. After the event, she said she was unharmed.

The administration was also being challenged in court. Federal courts were weighing a decision on a lawsuit seeking to pause the crackdown, as well as an order for the head of ICE to appear personally to address what a judge said were failures to grant due process for certain immigrants.

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