Tim Walz this week signaled that he is ready to help ease Minnesota’s conflict with the Trump administration, starting with working with border czar Tom Homan.

Speaking to The Bulwark, the Minnesota Governor said: “I don’t agree with Tom Homan’s philosophy on things, but I do understand that he is law enforcement and he understands right and wrong.” Walz added: “I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt. […] I am in a position right now where I want to be very careful to continue to stand up and we won’t give an inch, but not to poke the bear.”

Unsurprisingly, these comments have upset Democrats who want to see a more direct confrontation with Trump. But Walz is setting the right example, even as other Minnesota Democrats continue advocating for stronger resistance. For example, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who once told ICE to “get the fuck out”, has doubled down on his attacks, telling the President on X: “The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws.”

Beyond inflaming tensions with the administration, Frey’s approach is also out of step with the public. Though polling indicates that Americans believe ICE has gone too far in its enforcement tactics and want to see it follow the law, they also continue to support Trump’s immigration goals. A new poll from the center-left Searchlight Institute found the view that “immigrants living in the US illegally should not be deported” commands no more than 30% support even among Democrats — and far less among other groups.

The problem facing Democrats is this: most people want order over chaos. If the electorate is asked to decide between an extreme crackdown on illegal immigration — or crime — on the one hand, or no enforcement of laws on the other, they will always choose the former.

Another Democrat who understood this is Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who chose to coordinate rather than fight with the administration as it deployed the National Guard to combat crime in her city. Though this decision angered many of DC’s liberal residents, Bowser understood that picking fights with Trump could provoke a complete takeover of the capital and bring an end to DC’s “home rule”, which would not be in its best interest. Her cooperation with the administration on crime mitigation eventually led to an end to the federal government’s order giving Trump control of the city.

Walz appears to be taking his cue from Bowser. He understands that continuing to fight with the Trump administration is a losing battle and could even make the situation worse. At the same time, he is not waving the white flag. He stressed to Homan that he desired a swift reduction of federal agents in the Twin Cities, and he also lobbied for the state of Minnesota to be part of the investigation into the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti.

While Democrats are unlikely to support increased cooperation, it is the sensible thing to do. And whereas other leaders might feel the pressure of their base, Walz is not running for re-election this year, which may give him some cover to do what he thinks is right, even if it’s not popular with his party. The reality is that the courts have given Trump immense leeway so far on how he conducts immigration enforcement, and Minnesota does not have much power to stop him. Total resistance has proved ineffective — and won’t suddenly succeed now.

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Michael Baharaeen is chief political analyst at The Liberal Patriot substack.

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