Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned the mayor of Minneapolis – where the brutal killings of two people by immigration agents sparked nationwide outrage – that he is "playing with fire."

Trump told Mayor Jacob Frey that his refusal to cooperate with federal authorities' assault on immigrant communities was "a very serious violation of the law."

The Truth Social post came in sharp contrast to the 79-year-old's earlier statement that he wanted to "de-escalate" in Minnesota, which has been roiled by weeks of protests against the brutality of the Trump administration's agenda.

Frey immediately shot back with a post on X, writing: "The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws. I want them preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to MPLS & is from Ecuador."

Donald Trump Judge warns jurors to treat Barron Trump's heroic domestic violence story with caution

Referencing ex-New York City mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, he added: "It's similar to the policy your guy Rudy had in NYC. Everyone should feel safe calling 911."

Despite trying to strike a more conciliatory tone, the Republican president has rejected calls for a "pullback" of federal agents swarming Minnesota, and he has also resisted calls to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

One of the more outwardly extreme members of the administration, Noem is facing impeachment after repeatedly slandering the two Minneapolis victims – Renee Good and Alex Pretti – as "domestic terrorists."

The political battle could soon move to Congress where Democrats are threatening to shut down the government if funding for DHS and its agencies is not cut back.