Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, said the Trump administration could reduce the number of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota, but only if state and local officials cooperate and protests stop interfering with federal operations, during remarks Thursday that followed a fatal encounter involving federal officers in the Twin Cities. Speaking to reporters for the first time since Trump sent him to Minneapolis after last weekend’s shooting of protester Alex Pretti, Homan positioned the possible change as conditional rather than a retreat from immigration enforcement.
Homan said the administration is not relenting on its immigration crackdown and that protesters could face consequences if they interfere with federal officers, adding that he has “zero tolerance” for demonstrators who assault federal officers or impede the ongoing Twin Cities operation. He also addressed public criticism of how the operation has unfolded, saying he did not want “to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect,” and noting “Nothing’s ever perfect.”
After President Trump appeared to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Homan hinted that the federal presence could shrink. He said “The drawdown is going to happen based on these agreements,” and suggested it could happen “even more if the hateful rhetoric and the impediment and interference will stop.” He did not give details on how such a drawdown would work and said he would oversee internal changes in federal immigration law enforcement.
Homan also told reporters that the mission would improve because of “the changes we’re making internally,” while saying no agency or organization is “perfect” and that the administration had recognized that improvements “could and should be made.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in Washington on Thursday that he was “hopeful” federal officers in the city would be reduced, while saying police would do their jobs but not “somebody else’s,” referring to federal law enforcement.
Despite Trump softening his rhetoric about Minnesota officials, there was no visible change to the Twin Cities operation on Thursday, with federal officers still conducting activity at the operation’s main hub, according to the report. Protesters demonstrated outside the federal facility in frigid conditions as the Justice Department charged a man accused of squirting vinegar on Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.
The remarks came after two fatal shootings tied to the operation this month. The report said Pretti, 37, was fatally shot Saturday during a scuffle with Border Patrol, and earlier this month, the report said 37-year-old Renee Good was shot in her vehicle by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Homan also emphasized the administration’s approach to detentions, saying jails should alert ICE to inmates who could be deported and that transferring such inmates to ICE makes the process safer because it means fewer officers are required in the field. In his comments, he reiterated the administration’s position, saying, “Give us access to illegal aliens, public safety threats in the safety and security of a jail.”
Minnesota corrections officials pushed back on that portrayal. Paul Schnell, chief of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, told reporters last week that DHS “fundamentally misunderstands Minnesota’s correctional system” and said the disagreement could be “pure propaganda.” Schnell said state prisons always honor “detainers,” which are federal requests to hold an arrested immigrant until ICE can take custody, and he said the “vast majority” of county sheriffs cooperate with immigration authorities.
Schnell acknowledged that some local jails do not participate in sharing information, including jails in Hennepin County, which serves Minneapolis, and Ramsey County, which serves St. Paul. He said, however, that both counties still hand over inmates to federal authorities when an arrest warrant has been signed by a judge.
Homan further suggested a renewed emphasis on what ICE calls “targeted operations,” saying ICE would conduct “targeted strategic enforcement operations” prioritizing “public safety threats.” The report said it remains unclear whether that renewed focus would reduce tensions, noting that ICE and Homan have said the administration’s primary focus is arresting people in the country illegally who have a criminal history or pose a threat to public safety, while also saying they will arrest others found to be in the U.S. illegally.
Sameera Hafiz, policy director with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, said Homan’s comments appeared to reflect recognition that public opinion has turned against ICE, but she questioned his argument that targeted operations make the country safer. She said: “His comments still seem to be based on the false premise that deporting people or deportation will make our community safer,” adding that “All the evidence and data has shown that deportations don’t make our communities safer,” and that deportations “destabilize families, they tear communities apart, they hurt our economy.”
Homan did not specify how long he would remain in Minnesota, telling reporters: “I’m staying until the problem’s gone.” He said he has met with community members, law enforcement and elected leaders as he sought “common ground” and suggested he had made progress.