Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff at the White House and a close adviser to President Donald Trump, claimed in a social media post late Sunday that local and state police in Minnesota have been told to “stand down and surrender” their authority to federal law enforcement. This claim has been disputed by local officials and legal experts.
Miller’s post responded to a column by New York Post writer Miranda Devine, suggesting that “local cops have gone AWOL” in Minneapolis as protests over Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations attract national attention. He wrote on Twitter, “Only federal officers are upholding the law. Local and state police have been ordered to stand down and surrender.”
This statement from one of the administration’s leading figures on immigration reflects heightened political talk about protests that have continued since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by an ICE agent earlier this month. Former Trump aides and conservative commentators increasingly describe the protests and community reactions as serious threats to federal authority, even as local leaders insist they maintain control over public safety.
Only federal officers are upholding the law. Local and state police have been ordered to stand down and surrender. https://t.co/LnX3Y5Ggeu
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) January 19, 2026
Officials from the Minneapolis Police Department have denied Miller’s claim. A department spokesperson told The Independent that the statement circulating online is false and that local officers are continuing their duties alongside other agencies.
Federal government cannot normally compel state or local police to “stand down” and law enforcement powers are mainly governed by state and local authorities under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Federal law does not give the federal executive branch the authority to order local police to give up jurisdiction or stop operations.
Miller’s comments came after he labeled the protests in Minnesota “an insurgency” against the federal government and echoed administration claims that local officials are not supporting federal immigration efforts. In a separate appearance on a conservative media show, Miller said protesters see the federal government as an “occupying force,” which aligns with Trump’s broader portrayal of resistance to ICE tactics.
Recently, President Trump has also commented on the unrest, threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807. This rarely used law allows for the deployment of U.S. military forces to suppress civil disorder. The administration has suggested that the protests are destabilizing, even though constitutional and legal guidelines require specific conditions before invoking the act.
Minnesota officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have pushed back against the federal narrative and defended local law enforcement’s role. Frey told CNN that the police force aims to maintain peace and community safety during what he called an overwhelming federal presence. He stated that authorities have kept up active patrols and responded to incidents across the region.
Thousands of federal agents have been deployed for operations that include immigration arrests and investigations into suspected fraud. Critics of the administration argue that the federal response has heightened confrontations and strained relationships with local law enforcement and communities.
Recently, Miller and other administration figures have made statements suggesting that federal officers are protected from certain state and local legal challenges. This perspective has faced scrutiny from legal commentators and has been debated publicly.
Local officials maintain their role, while the feds amplify claims of reduced cooperation from local law enforcement. It is yet to be seen how the latest political standoff plays out.
