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Border czar Tom Homan: Immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota coming to an end
Tom Homan, White House Border Czar, speaks at a news conference in Minneapolis.
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Stephen Maturen
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Getty Images
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The immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota is ending, said Tom Homan, the border czar for President Donald Trump.
“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said. “A significant draw down has already been underway this week and will continue through the next week.”
Homan addressed reporters Thursday morning at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, the base for the ongoing federal immigration operation in Minnesota. It also houses a facility that the Department of Homeland Security has been using to detain people being held by ICE.
"A small footprint of personnel will remain for a period of time to close out and transition full command and control back to the field office,” Homan said. “I will also remain on the ground for a little longer to oversee the drawdown of this operation and ensure its success.”
“This surge operation and our work here with state and local officials to improve coordination and achieve mutual goals, as well as our efforts to address issues of concern here on the ground, have yielded the successful results we have came here for in the Twin Cities, Minnesota in general,” Homan said.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was set to speak at a previously scheduled news conference later Thursday, to propose a federal surge response package to support Minnesota businesses affected by the immigration operation.
Fatal ICE shootings in Minnesota
- On Jan. 7, 2026, Renee Macklin Good was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis.
- On Jan. 24, 2026, Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, also in Minneapolis. The men were identified in records reviewed by ProPublica.
Their shooting deaths ignited massive protests and calls for criminal investigations.
“The long road to recovery starts now,” Walz said on social media ahead of that news conference, reacting to Homan’s announcement. “The impact on our economy, our schools, and people’s lives won’t be reversed overnight. That work starts today.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also released a statement after Homan’s announcement: “They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation… This operation has been catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now it’s time for a great comeback.”
Last week, Homan announced a drawdown of about a quarter of the immigration agents in the state, but that still left about 2,000 agents in Minnesota. Local elected officials have said they’re not seeing much change in their communities so far. Homan said there are normally about 150 federal officers in Minnesota.
Homan previously said that further reductions in the number of federal agents in Minnesota would come if state and local officials provide more assistance in transferring undocumented immigrants with criminal records from jail custody to federal authorities. He also said further drawdowns would be quicker if protesters stop “impeding and interfering” with federal agents.
Walz said earlier this week that recent conversations with White House officials had led him to believe the surge of federal immigration agents to the state could end soon. He said Minnesota is gearing up to move into the “recovery” phase following an end to the federal operation that’s gone on for more than two months.
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MPR News editor Andrew Krueger and digital editor Anna Haecherl contributed to this story.
Get more live coverage from our friends at MPR News: Go to MPR News' updates.
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