Border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that federal authorities will immediately pull 700 law enforcement personnel out of Minnesota, marking the first concrete rollback of the monthslong immigration surge that has roiled the Twin Cities.
The move comes a day after Minnesota’s top corrections official acknowledged “conversations” with the federal government about de-escalation but said details were still unclear. Until Homan’s announcement, state officials said they had seen no sign of a drawdown.
Homan, speaking at a morning news conference in Minneapolis, said roughly 2,000 federal agents will remain in the state after the reduction. Before the surge began, about 150 agents were operating in Minnesota.
He credited the pullback to a newly established chain of command and what he called “unprecedented cooperation” from county authorities.
“My goal, with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can, but that is largely contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we’re seeing in the community,” Homan said.
The reduction will not include personnel tasked with security or responding to hostile incidents, he added.
Homan made clear the administration’s broader strategy remains unchanged, saying he and the president are still committed to “mass deportations.”
Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell told CBS News earlier this week that while discussions with federal officials had taken place, the timeline and scope of any drawdown were “sketchy.” He said he remained concerned about reports of agents appearing at bus stops and entering apartment buildings without clearly defined targets.
“We don’t want roving bands of agents going into apartment buildings and asking people for their papers,” Schnell said. “We want a focused, targeted operation aimed at people who actually pose a risk to public safety.”
The announcement comes amid continued fallout from Operation Metro Surge, including economic complaints from local leaders and businesses. Officials in Brooklyn Park have said the federal presence has scared residents indoors and slashed revenue for some businesses by as much as 50 percent.
The surge was intensified after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis last month. A federal judge this week lifted a temporary restraining order related to that investigation, while Democratic lawmakers continue to accuse the Trump administration of misconduct.
Despite the drawdown, Homan signaled federal authorities are not leaving Minnesota anytime soon, making clear the reduction depends on conditions on the ground and cooperation from local officials.
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