The Trump administration is removing 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota, border “czar” Tom Homan said on Wednesday. The move comes weeks after two U.S. citizens were killed by agents, sparking protests around the country.
“My goal, with with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge, as soon as we can,” Homan said at a press conference, adding that a full removal of federal agents was still contingent on progress made in the immigration enforcement operation.
Over the past two months, more than 3,000 federal immigration agents have descended onto Minneapolis, in what the Trump administration has dubbed Operation Metro Surge. For comparison, the city has 600 local law enforcement officers. The Department of Homeland Security said agents have arrested about 3,000 undocumented immigrants since the operation began.
The immigration crackdown prompted national outrage after the killing of two U.S. citizens — Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37 — by federal authorities.
Trump administration officials have given mixed signals on whether they plan on raising or lowering the temperature in the Twin Cities.
Immediately following Pretti’s killing — before meaningful evidence from any investigation into the incident was produced — DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and top adviser Stephen Miller called the ICU nurse a “domestic terrorist” and accused him of brandishing a firearm.
Days later, the administration removed Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino, who was often present at violent encounters with protesters and arrests of immigrants. Bovino returned to his post in El Centro, California. Meanwhile, Homan arrived in Minneapolis the same week, where he quickly said the situation could be improved and that the administration would “draw down” the operation in the state.
In Wednesday’s news conference, Homan said there will now be one line of command in Minneapolis, rather than two.
After his initial comments about the drawdown, Trump appeared to contradict plans for a de-escalation. That came after the president distanced himself from labels of Pretti made by others in his administration, saying he wanted to “de-escalate” the situation in the city and calling Pretti’s killing a “very unfortunate” incident.
By Friday, Trump called Pretti an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist,” in a post on Truth Social.
The change in tone came after video emerged showing Pretti kicking a vehicle being driven by immigration authorities and calls for some of the president’s hard right supporters for the president to press onward. Stephen Bannon said on his podcast, “War Room,” that “there can be no de-escalation at all.”
Simultaneously, federal authorities arrested former CNN-anchor Don Lemon for covering a protest during a church service last month led by a pastor who is allegedly also an ICE agent. And videos of confrontations between immigration authorities and residents of the Twin Cities have continued to go viral near daily since talk of a draw down began last week.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
