Mayors ignore, flatter or confront Trump to serve their cities

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks at a December news conference about the Trump administration’s plans to enforce immigration laws in the city. Last month, Frey encouraged other mayors to stand up to President Donald Trump; some mayors adopted a more compromising tone. (Photo: Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)

WASHINGTON – Five days after federal immigration agents killed another of his constituents, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had a message for his peers: Speak up.

“Mayors, we do not back down from our oppressors. We stand up for democracy,” Frey said in a speech last month in Washington, D.C., to a gathering of hundreds of mayors from across the country.

Frey left the U.S. Conference of Mayors and went to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress five days later ThisPresident Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of 700 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from Minneapolis. About 2,300 people remained.

Frey, a liberal mayor who governs a mostly liberal city, illustrated his way of responding to Trump’s increasing encroachment on city limits and city business, and he called for that way – publicly, loudly and forcefully – with others as well.

But his path is not the right one for all mayors, who occupy largely nonpartisan positions in an increasingly hyperpartisan political environment. Their job is primarily to collect garbage, fill potholes and keep people secure. While some see confronting the White House as the right approach, others choose to stay put – or simply keep their heads down.

Cities rely on federal money, and Trump has made it clear that cities that don’t respond to his requests will receive more ICE agents and fewer federal dollars.

The mayor of Plainfield, New Jersey, the son of immigrants, Adrian Mapp, said in an interview at the conference that some disagreements with the federal government, such as those over immigration raids, can seem like a personal and political fight. Residents expect the mayor to fight for them, he said, especially against unpopular policies or excessive federal influence.

“There is a feeling in our community that this is what people want from the mayor — to know that we are rising to the occasion, gathering resources and doing everything we can to support those impacted,” Mapp said.

Boots on the ground

Chris Jensen, the two-term mayor of Noblesville, Indiana, told Stateline that city leaders are often isolated from partisan fighting in Washington and that unless these problems become local, they are not worth addressing.

“Mayors can’t go on cable news and just repeat the topics that are being discussed,” Jensen said. “We have to do this job every day. We have to clear the snow. We have to build roads. We have to collect trash. It’s not biased, it’s just government.”

Jensen, a registered Republican who worked for former Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, said mayors must embrace bipartisanship to provide resources to their constituents. He added that federal leaders could make better utilize of mayors by asking them for field data and feedback from their constituents.

“We are the ones who have our feet on the ground,” Jensen said. “If you want to talk about housing, we know how many permits we’ve made. If you want to talk about mental health, we know how many crisis calls we’ve made. Rely on us and get out of the way when we need to move faster.”

At last month’s conference, several mayors described how tensions with the Trump administration – often without directly naming the president – have intensified in recent months, particularly over immigration enforcement, the federal deployment of National Guard troops and threats to withdraw federal funding.

They pointed out that much of Trump’s anger was directed at substantial cities with enormous Democratic populations. The Association of African American Mayors does excellent that the cities Trump has denounced as lawless and in need of National Guard troops – Chicago; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tennessee; Oakland, California; and Washington, D.C. – all run by black mayors. All saw significant reductions in violent crime.

Trump also threatened to send troops to New Orleans despite its falling crime rate. Mayors visiting Washington included Mayor Helena Moreno, who took office in January. She told voters on Instagram message that she spent a moment with Trump at another event and tried to direct his attention to other needs of the city.

“I thought it was very important for the president to hear directly from me what the city of New Orleans really needs from the federal government,” she said in the video. She said the city’s homicide rate is at a 50-year low and told Trump about the city’s infrastructure needs.

“I think he was open,” Moreno told voters. “I’ve always said this: that even if I’m not affiliated with someone politically, if that person is in a position of power and is able to help the city of New Orleans, then I want to make sure that our needs are addressed… so that we can determine if there is a path to work together.”

Repulsion

Trump told mayors that unless they agree to abandon their shelter-in-place status, which prohibits local police agencies from cooperating with ICE on immigration enforcement, their federal dollars will be withdrawn. cut off February 1

When the president’s funding threats failed to materialize, newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration “will continue to advocate for the city” against efforts to limit federal funding to cities based on politics and ideology.

But Mamdani, like other mayors, sought ways to connect with the president, meeting with Trump in the Oval Office shortly after his election last fall.

That’s what Washington Mayor Muriel Browser, who ends her third term next year, did he said that whoever replaces her will have an especially challenging task because of the city’s unique situation – the federal government may waive local regulations.

Bowser was staunchly opposed to Trump during his first term, but it was more perceptible pragmatic during his second term – seeking common ground on deploying the National Guard, accelerating searches of homeless encampments and removing a block-long “Black Lives Matter” mural that was painted on the street as part of a protest in front of the White House. At the same time, Bowser warned that such actions could limit the city’s autonomy.

Similarly, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie persuaded Trump in a phone call last fall to refrain from bringing immigration agents into the city. expressive president that the city is doing well. Trump told reporters he was giving San Francisco a chance.

However, continued opposition may have been what led to the curtailment of ICE operations in Minneapolis.

Portland, Oregon, Mayor Keith Wilson had hoped for a similar reduction in immigration enforcement in his city, calling on ICE officers to leave the city.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who noted at the conference that mayors face “difficulties” at the federal level when it comes to funding, recently joined regional mayors to announce a series of accountability measures for ICE officers.

Newark, New Jersey Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor James Solomon are advocating for state lawmakers to pass legislation limiting how state and local police officials can cooperate with ICE agents.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order expanding the city’s investigation into possible misconduct by ICE officers.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval told a panel session at the conference of mayors that the administration’s utilize of partisan politics – as well as the scope of the federal government’s powers – have profoundly changed the work of mayors.

“It absolutely affects trust at every level,” he said.

Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at: sequenceira@stateline.org.