Prospective Minneapolis mayor says top priority if he wins election is to protect illegal migrants from ICE

The self-described Democratic Socialist running to be Minneapolis’s next mayor signaled his top priority would be to protect illegal migrants from ‘a hostile federal government’ if elected in November.

Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh, 35, sat down with local television station KARE 11 to lay out his plans for the city.

‘With not only Donald Trump in office, he essentially has a trifecta. Both chambers of Congress and a Supreme Court,’ Fateh said. ‘A lot of our neighbors, especially our undocumented residents, are very concerned.’

Fateh has also said he would increase the separation between city police and federal immigration law enforcement, essentially lessening their coordination with one another.

Fateh stopped short of endorsing the abolition of the police, an idea supported by the Democratic Socialists of America.

‘That’s not going to happen, absolutely,’ Fateh said. ‘What we envision is a public safety system that works for everyone, and that means we have an accountable police force and a police force that is an important part of our public safety system, but making sure that when we call 911 we get an appropriate response.’

Fateh’s stance on many issues, including policing, aligns rather closely with Zohran Mamdani, the left-wing state assemblyman who is the frontrunner to become the mayor of New York City.

Like Mamdani, Fateh believes social workers can respond to certain 911 calls instead of armed police officers.

Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh, 35, has said he would protect illegal immigrants from President Donald Trump’s federal government

Pictured: A man is detained during a ICE raid on a building in Minneapolis on June 3, 2025

‘I would think that in this situation, we would actually have to increase public safety funding to make sure that we have all the alternatives fully supported and funded, to make sure everyone has their needs met,’ Fateh said.

Fateh hasn’t said that the police department should get more funding. On his website, he says he would ‘increase investment in other departments under the Office of Community Safety like the Fire Department, 911, Neighborhood Safety Department, and Emergency Management’.

Fateh also expanded on some of the other policies he’d pursue as mayor, including a $20 minimum wage by 2028, rent stabilization for tenants and a land value tax to incentivize development on empty lots.

His platform calls for ending the practice of breaking down encampments if there is no other safe place for the homeless people to go. He also seeks to prevent rental evictions, which he says is the largest contributor to homelessness.

On the issue of women’s and transgender rights, Fateh wants to make sure the city remains ‘a safe haven for people seeking abortions and gender-affirming healthcare’.

He denied that he is a radical, pointing to the fact that he’s been a bipartisan lawmaker in the state senate.

‘Some of the things I’m known for, like tuition-free college for working-class families, minimum protections and increased wages for rideshare drivers, the legalization of fentanyl testing strips, on and on and on, I was able to partner with not just a progressive wing but also the Blue Dog Democrats as well as Republicans,’ Fateh said.

Fateh is the first Somali American and Muslim to serve in the Minnesota State Senate. He moved to the state 10 years ago from Washington, D.C.

Fateh is often likened to Zohran Mamdani, who beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and is now the frontrunner to become New York City’s next mayor

Fateh main opponent in the mayoral race is two-term incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, who has been endorsed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar

His main opponent in the mayoral race is two-term incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, who has been endorsed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar.

In late July, the Minneapolis Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) shockingly passed over Frey to officially endorse Fateh.

More than 1,000 party activists gathered in the Target Center to choose Fateh as their candidate.

Although the endorsement carries no legal weight, its important because the DFL is connected to the national Democratic party.

This means Fateh could get access to additional party resources to help them in the general election.

Frey has already appealed the result citing the alleged breakdown of the party’s online delegate voting system. The first hearing is scheduled for August 17.