November’s surprising elections that lifted Kaohly Her to leadership in St. Paul and saw Jacob Frey’s return to Minneapolis culminated this week in inauguration ceremonies offering hints at how the leaders may approach their roles over the next four years.

But while Her’s ceremony felt almost like an introduction to a relative newcomer, Frey, voted in for a third term, hammered well-worn themes.

“First” was the word of the day at St. Paul’s St. Catherine University, hosting Her’s inauguration — not only the first female mayor of the city, but the first to be a woman of color, an Asian-American, an immigrant and of Hmong ancestry. 

The St. Kate’s location offered a symbolic touch as one of the only women’s colleges in the nation and an establishment with strong outreach to the Hmong community.

Following accolades from friends and fellow officials, Her laid down what she said were foundational aspects of her mayorship, like concerns over rising property taxes and deferred maintenance of city resources, like arenas.

“I will never come to you without numbers, data points or a plan,” Her said.

Compare that to Mayor Frey’s inauguration, held at the Pantages Theater in downtown Minneapolis as part of the swearing in of public officials including the Minneapolis City Council.

Frey needs no introduction to most of the city’s residents — certainly not to the protesters who interrupted the beginning of his speech by yelling the names of domestic violence victims and holding up flags emblazoned with “FTP,” a phrase often used to disparage law enforcement.

The mayor drew on previous terms, saying his administration would continue leaning into their work to support more affordable housing throughout the city, build more diverse public safety departments and revitalize areas like the former Kmart site along Lake Street.

Frey’s speech neatly compared what he said were national crises, like ICE raids, to Minneapolis’ harsh winters, saying the best way to weather both was together. And in a nod that seemed aimed at the City Council’s recent dysfunction, he repeated some councilors’ calls “not for chaos or blame, but for partnership.”

Her commented on recent federal attention as well, saying the Trump administration was “determined to make life more difficult.” She shared a goal of removing federal officers’ ability to stage in public parks and wear masks.

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“I am determined not to allow this federal administration to turn us against each other,” Her said.

Both mayors bemoaned the current state of politics, with Frey alluding to the “frayed and even dangerous discourse” faced not only by candidates but by campaign teams and families. Her became emotional speaking about her friendship with late House speaker Melissa Hortman, assassinated in June.

Asked by MinnPost about their colleagues across the river, Her said, “the bond between St. Paul and Minneapolis is one of the most unique and special connections in the whole country. It’s what makes our region so great.” Her mentioned her hope to share meals and advice with Frey, “like we did last month.”

Frey called the Twin Cities’ partnership “the strongest force in Minnesota.” In Her, he said he has “a partner who believes that cities should be relentlessly focused on delivering for our residents and improving lives. I can’t wait to work with her to lift up both of our cities.”

Both mayors clearly shared at least one goal: an interest in their audience leaving the inaugurations energized.

In Minneapolis, Frey and others onstage broke out dance moves to Kennadi Watkins’ rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.”

In St. Paul, as people made their way to the doors, “Golden,” from the hit film “KPop Demon Hunters” — a song about claiming the many contrasting identities within one person — blasted over the speakers.

Related

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has launched what officials describe as the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever carried out, preparing to deploy as many as 2,000 federal agents and officers to the Minneapolis area for a sweeping crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

The surge dramatically expands the federal law enforcement footprint in Minnesota amid heightened political and community tensions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, during an interview with Newsmax, called the crackdown the agency’s “largest immigration operation ever.”

READ MORE: Noem says Homeland Security is investigating fraud in Minneapolis

Neither Lyons nor Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said how many officers were involved.

A person briefed on the operation told The Associated Press the Department of Homeland Security plans to dispatch as many as 2,000 officers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss operational details and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Immigrant rights groups and elected officials in the Twin Cities reported a sharp increase Tuesday in sightings of federal agents, notably around St. Paul. Numerous agents’ vehicles were reported making traffic stops, outside area businesses and apartment buildings.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also present and accompanied ICE officers during at least one arrest. A video posted on X showed Noem wearing a tactical vest and knit cap as agents arrested a man in St. Paul. In the video, she tells the handcuffed man: “You will be held accountable for your crimes.”

READ MORE: What to know about Trump administration freezing federal child care funds

The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release that the man was from Ecuador and was wanted in his homeland and Connecticut on charges including murder and sexual assault. It said agents arrested 150 people Monday in enforcement actions in Minneapolis.

Minnesota governor blasts surge

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, criticized the federal enforcement surge as “a war that’s being waged against Minnesota.”

“You’re seeing that we have a ridiculous surge of apparently 2,000 people not coordinating with us, that are for a show of cameras,” Walz told reporters in Minneapolis on Tuesday, a day after announcing he was ending his campaign for a third term.

WATCH: Fraud scandals and Trump’s rhetoric escalate fears in Minnesota’s Somali community

Many residents were already on edge. The Trump administration has singled out the area’s Somali community, the largest in the U.S. Last month, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara criticized federal agents for using “questionable methods” following a confrontation between agents and protesters.

Molly Coleman, a St. Paul City Council member whose district includes a manufacturing plant where agents arrested more than a dozen people in November, said Tuesday was “unlike any other day we’ve experienced.”

“It’s incredibly distressing,” Coleman said. “What we know happens when ICE comes into a city, it’s an enforcement in which every single person is on guard and afraid.”

Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, said there had been an increase in sightings of federal agents and enforcement vehicles in locations like parking lots.

“We can definitely a feel a heavier presence,” said Dieu Do, an organizer with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, which dispatches response teams to reports of agents.

Surge includes investigators focused on fraud allegations

Roughly three-quarters of the enforcement personnel are expected to come from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, which carries out immigration arrests and deportations, said the person with knowledge of the operation. The force also includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, ICE’s investigative arm, which typically focuses on fraud and cross-border criminal networks.

HSI agents were going door-to-door in the Twin Cities area investigating allegations of fraud, human smuggling and unlawful employment practices, Lyons said.

The HSI agents are largely expected to concentrate on identifying suspected fraud, while deportation officers will conduct arrests of immigrants accused of violating immigration law, according to the person briefed on the operation. Specialized tactical units are also expected to be involved.

The operation also includes personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, the person familiar with the deployment said. Bovino’s tactics during previous federal operations in other cities have drawn scrutiny from local officials and civil rights advocates.

Hilton drops Minnesota hotel that canceled agents’ reservations

Hilton said in a statement Tuesday that it was removing a Minnesota hotel from its systems for “not meeting our standards and values” when it denied service to federal agents.

The Hampton Inn Lakeville hotel, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) outside Minneapolis, apologized Monday for canceling the reservations of federal agents, saying it would work to accommodate them. The hotel, like the majority of Hampton Inns, is owned and operated by a franchisee.

The Hampton Inn Lakeville did not respond to requests for comment.

Federal authorities began increasing immigration arrests in the Minneapolis area late last year. Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel announced last week that federal agencies were intensifying operations in Minnesota, with an emphasis on fraud investigations.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly linked his administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota to fraud cases involving federal nutrition and pandemic aid programs, many of which have involved defendants with roots in Somalia.

The person with information about the current operation cautioned that its scope and duration could shift in the coming days as it develops.

Balsamo reported from New York. AP journalists Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this story.