Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday urged President Donald Trump to end the federal immigration actions taking place in the Twin Cities and elsewhere in the state.

The governor’s remarks came after Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has sent 2,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities to carry out a major enforcement operation. Earlier this month an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good, who had confronted agents during an enforcement action in Minneapolis. That set off protests in the Twin Cities and across the country.

Trump has threatened to use the Insurrection Act to deploy federal troops to quell protests. The 1807 law allows the president to federalize the National Guard and law enforcement against the will of state leaders.

In his statement Tuesday, Walz called on the president to come to the state “to see our values in action.”

“Come see how communities from all walks of life are working together, and how the spirit of this state refuses to be defined by division or fear,” Walz said in the statement. “I invite you to join me, and others in our community, to help restore calm and order and reaffirm that true public safety comes from shared purpose, trust, and respect.”

The governor also addressed the U. S. Department of Justice investigation in him and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Both Walz and Frey previously have denounced the probe — which involves whether the two impeded the immigration action — saying its politically-motivated.

“This Justice Department investigation, sparked by calls for accountability in the face of violence, chaos, and the killing of Renee Good, does not seek justice,” he said. “It is a partisan distraction. Minnesotans are more concerned with safety and peace than baseless legal tactics aimed at intimidating public servants standing shoulder to shoulder with their community.”

The immigration actions in the state are having a significant impact on many Minnesotans, Walz said.

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“My focus has always been protecting the people of this state,” he said. “Families are scared. Kids are afraid to go to school. Small businesses are hurting. A mother is dead, and the people responsible have yet to be held accountable. That’s where the energy of the federal government should be directed: toward restoring trust, accountability, and real law and order, not political retaliation.”

Walz ended by saying: “Minnesota will not be intimidated into silence and neither will I.”