There was a time when American mayors grasped a simple truth: their first obligation was to the citizens who elected them. Not to foreign governments. Not a political spectacle. And certainly not to communities credibly accused of siphoning hundreds of millions in taxpayer money. That understanding used to be basic civic literacy. In certain blue cities, it’s now treated like a radical position.

The pattern has grown impossible to ignore. Democratic officials in sanctuary cities compete to demonstrate their loyalty to immigrant populations while ordinary Americans — the ones paying taxes and playing by the rules — get lectured about compassion. Their concerns? Dismissed as bigotry. What happened in Minneapolis this past weekend, though, manages to push even that tired formula to a new extreme.

From The Post Millennial:

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey celebrated Somali Independence Day over the weekend with a public message praising Minnesota’s Somali community, while videos from the festival circulated online alongside renewed scrutiny over major fraud investigations, and some wondering if Somalia is so great, why they had to flee and are considered refugees in the first place.

On X, Frey wrote, “Happy Somali Independence Day! Here in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the United States, we celebrate the resilience, culture, and leadership that continue to enrich our city and community.”

Go ahead and read that twice. The mayor of a major American city stood on a stage — surrounded by Somali flags, mind you — and told the crowd, “In Minneapolis, we do not see you as immigrants. We see you as our family. You are our brothers. You’re our sisters.” He then took direct aim at Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement initiative responsible for over 4,000 arrests in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. His message to the feds? “They tried to come for some of us. And when that happens, we say that you’re coming for all of us.”

An American mayor openly positioning himself against federal law enforcement. At a celebration of another country’s independence. Stunning.

A pattern of protection

What makes Frey’s performance genuinely outrageous isn’t the theatrics alone. It’s the context he’s banking on you not remembering. A Republican-led House Oversight Committee report found that more than 110 people have been charged in connection with multiple fraud schemes in Minnesota. Many of those defendants were identified as members of the Somali immigrant community. The Feeding Our Future scandal — just one piece of a larger puzzle — saw roughly $300 million in federal child nutrition funds stolen during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s money earmarked to feed hungry kids, quietly redirected into criminals’ pockets.

It gets worse. The committee alleged that Governor Tim Walz’s administration ignored repeated warnings about the fraud. Why? Reportedly, concerns over potential racial discrimination claims contributed to the delays. Let that register: officials may have watched hundreds of millions of dollars vanish because they were scared of bad press.

Now here’s Frey, standing on that stage, calling this community family.

Americans are paying attention

The public response was swift and merciless. Frey’s post generated over 7,000 replies on X. The overwhelming majority were scathing. “You are the worst mayor we’ve ever had,” one Minneapolis resident wrote. “The city should be for Minnesota citizens.” Others highlighted the absurdity of celebrating Somali independence while so many in the community remain deeply reliant on American social services.

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan showed up to the same festival with her own contribution: “Trump’s hate has no home here.” So, enforcing immigration law is hatred now. Good to know. Rep. Ilhan Omar rounded out the guest list, arriving fresh from Pride festivities — a full afternoon of political stagecraft without a single mention of the $300 million that disappeared from children’s lunch programs on her watch.

Who does your mayor work for?

Here’s the question every taxpayer in Minneapolis deserves answered: when your elected leaders stand on a stage draped in another nation’s flag and publicly vow to obstruct federal law enforcement, who exactly are they working for? Because it isn’t you. The Americans who follow the law, fund the government, and expect basic accountability from their leaders are watching all of this. And come November, they will remember who stood with them — and who didn’t.

Key Takeaways

• Minneapolis Mayor Frey publicly vowed to obstruct federal immigration enforcement at a Somali Independence Day rally.
• Over $300 million in federal child nutrition funds were stolen in fraud schemes linked to Minnesota’s Somali community.
• The Walz administration allegedly delayed fraud investigations over fears of being called racist.
• Taxpayers deserve elected leaders who prioritize American citizens over political theater.

Sources: The Post Millennial, The Nerd Stash