White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that federal authorities are drawing down their law enforcement presence in Minnesota, saying the move is possible because of what he described as “unprecedented cooperation” from local police agencies, as reported by Fox News.
Speaking during a morning press conference in Minneapolis, Homan said approximately 700 federal agents deployed to the Twin Cities will be leaving immediately.
He added that the long-term objective is a complete withdrawal of federal personnel from the area.
Homan said the decision followed meetings with Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, and Jacob Frey.
During those discussions, Homan said he urged state and local officials to allow jails to communicate with federal authorities about the release timing of illegal aliens being held in custody.
“We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets. Unprecedented cooperation,” Homan said Wednesday.
“I’ll say it again: This is efficient, and it requires only one or two officers to assume custody of a criminal alien target, rather than eight or 10 officers going into the community and arresting that public safety threat.”
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Homan said the approach improves safety for law enforcement officers, communities, and detainees.
“Given this increase in unprecedented collaboration, and as a result of less need for law enforcement officers to do this work in a safer environment, I have announced immediately we will draw down 700 people effective today,” he said.
He emphasized that federal authorities are not asking local jails to extend detention times for immigration purposes.
“We’re not asking anyone to be an immigration officer,” Homan said.
President Donald Trump deployed Homan to Minnesota last week following a fatal confrontation between federal agents and anti-ICE agitator Alex Pretti.
Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, marking the second protester killed during federal operations in the city last month.
Shortly after Homan’s arrival, Greg Bovino, commander of the U.S. Border Patrol, departed Minnesota, according to officials.
Federal operations in Minneapolis and nearby St. Paul have faced ongoing resistance, with organized agitators repeatedly confronting, harassing, and obstructing law enforcement personnel during enforcement actions.
Those incidents have drawn attention from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who have publicly called for investigations into the funding sources supporting the organized resistance against federal immigration operations.
Homan said Wednesday that continued cooperation from local agencies will determine whether further reductions in federal presence occur, reiterating that coordination with local law enforcement reduces the need for larger, more visible enforcement actions in residential neighborhoods.
The drawdown took effect immediately.
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