Billionaire Elon Musk called Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther a "traitor to America," in a social media post over the weekend.
Musk's post on X Saturday came in response to one by President Donald Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who posted, "Why is the mayor of Columbus, Ohio, advocating for mass Somali migration?"
Miller's rhetoric came in response to Ginther's video posted on X after Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions dubbed "Operation Buckeye" began in Columbus last week.
The text with Ginther's video said Columbus is proud to be a welcoming city and that Ginther wants immigrants to know they matter.
Ginther mentioned nothing about the Somali community in the video. He said that people should not interfere with ICE operations, but that it's OK to record conversations on their phones, and that Columbus police will not be used to carry out those operations.
Ginther's office released a statement Monday saying, "Others can choose name calling, we are choosing to stay focused on the residents of Columbus."
"Mayor Ginther remains committed to keeping Columbus safe for everyone who lives and works here. Columbus will continue to be a city that follows laws and leads with humanity. Those principles are not in conflict, rather, they are the foundation of good governance," the statement said.
A Saturday statement from ICE said Operation Buckeye began on Dec. 16. The statement lists the names of 10 people arrested, "including during this week’s operation," but is unclear on how many people in total were arrested since Dec. 16.
On Thursday, Ginther said of ICE's actions: "While some may say they're here to make Columbus safer, the fact is Columbus is already safe. We have not asked for and do not need this unwelcome intervention."