The withdrawal comes amid the continuing fallout from the shooting deaths of Alex Preti and Renee Nicole Good by federal agents in Minneapolis.
The Trump administration announced it would halt a controversial immigration operation in Minnesota that sparked nationwide protests after federal agents shot and killed two Americans in January.
“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this push operation end,” White House Border Director Tom Homan said at a Feb. 12 press briefing, adding, “We have already begun a significant reduction this week and will continue into next week.”
Homan said he will remain in Minnesota to oversee the removal, which he credited, among other things, to “unprecedented” cooperation between federal and local officials that expanded immigration authorities’ access to local jails.
The announcement marks the end of the largest immigration operation in modern U.S. history, with federal officials fanning out 3,000 more federal agents to the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The incident also came as lawmakers pressed federal immigration officials about their operations in Minnesota and the tactics of federal agents deployed across the country.
Less than three weeks later, in January, immigration agents shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a poet and mother of three, and Alex Preti, an ICU nurse who worked at a veterans hospital in Minneapolis. The incident sparked protests across the United States and a backlash against the Trump administration, including from some Republicans.
The operation also raised concerns about allegations of racial profiling, warrantless searches and an overburdened court system that led several judges to slam the Trump administration. Amid the turmoil, President Trump sent Mr. Homan to Minnesota to replace Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who became the face of the government’s militarized immigration enforcement.
“As I said in my first press conference a few weeks ago, President Trump did not send me here because the operation was perfectly executed and executed,” Homan said Thursday.
But while Homan promised to end the federal violence in Minnesota, he said the administration was not “backing away” from its promise of mass deportations. “If you’re in this country legally, it’s not out of the question,” he said.
Homan said ICE officers found 3,364 “missing and unaccompanied alien children” during the riot in Minnesota, and blamed the Biden administration for the loss of the children.
President Donald Trump and his administration have made similar claims in the past that the Biden administration has “lost” unaccompanied minors who previously crossed the border, or that the children are being placed with “unvetted” sponsors. Immigrant advocacy groups say such claims are inaccurate.
Children who arrive in the U.S. without a parent or guardian are transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which searches for suitable sponsors to care for them while they await a court hearing in their immigration case, according to the nonprofit National Immigration Forum. Those sponsors are almost always family members, often including parents who are already in the country, the organization said.
After a child is sponsored, the organization says sponsors do not need to update the government on their whereabouts, other than attending required hearings and ICE check-ins.
“While the current process of limited follow-up is a legitimate cause for concern, reports of large numbers of ‘missing’ UACs (Unaccompanied Alien Children) are inaccurate and exaggerated. These missing UACs are based solely on their failure to appear for an immigration court hearing or that ICE did not issue a Notice to Appear (NTA) for a court hearing,” the forum states.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday he is “cautiously optimistic” that most federal immigration workers in Minnesota will leave the state.
Walz spoke in harsh terms about the operation at a news conference, calling it an infiltration of “untrained and aggressive federal agents” that left “generational trauma” and “economic ruin” in the state.
He thanked Minnesotans for their “dignity” and “compassion” and said the state is focused on supporting local businesses affected by Operation Metro Surge.
“While the federal government may move forward, the state of Minnesota and our administration remain unwaveringly focused on recovering from what they’ve done,” Walz said.
Senators played the video of Alex Preti’s murder moment by moment with leaders of immigration enforcement agencies, urging them to adopt new policies in dealing with protesters.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said Mr. Preti had his cellphone in hand to record the encounter and covered his eyes as he was sprayed with the chemical at close range. But they noted that he never brandished a weapon or attacked federal officers.
“I don’t see anything here. There wasn’t even any sign of aggression on his part,” Pau said. “Everything was a setback.”
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons said the case remains under criminal investigation by the FBI and their agencies for possible policy changes. But they said protesters should not be thrown to the ground or sprayed with chemicals in strictly verbal confrontations.
“What I see is subjects who don’t comply,” Scott said. “He’s fighting back nonstop.”
Paul said the United States has lost faith in immigration enforcement and that policy changes are needed to restore trust in authorities.
“Some of this is inexcusable and we need a conclusion to draw a conclusion,” Paul said. “The public also needs to know that if I go to a protest and yell something at people, I can get killed.”
– bert jansen
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the resistance to ICE shown by protesters standing with their neighbors was “very American.”
“They thought they could crush us, but love for one’s neighbor and the determination to endure can last beyond the occupation,” he said.
Frey said Minneapolis residents will now begin to rebuild after the “devastating” immigration operation.
“We intend to show the same determination and patience to our immigrant residents as we reopen, and we look forward to the nation’s support as we move forward,” Frey said in a statement.
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who recently announced her candidacy for governor, celebrated the announcement of the end of the immigration operation in her state.
“Minnesota stood together and stared down ICE and didn’t blink,” Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar is running for governor after Tim Walz announced he would not run for re-election amid an ongoing investigation into the Minnesota fraud scandal.
Republican senators and Democratic state attorneys general clashed at a Senate hearing over protests against immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were shot at, rammed by cars and had rocks thrown at them. He accused Democratic state Attorney General Keith Ellison of encouraging protests against ICE.
Immigration officers shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Preti during an increased crackdown.
“Two people died because you encouraged them to put themselves in harm’s way,” Johnson said in a loud voice. “You encouraged it, so you should feel very guilty about it.”
Ellison said he encouraged protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights peacefully and safely, but denied advocating violence.
“It was a great theatrical performance, but it was all a lie,” Ellison said of Johnson.
– bert jansen
“Thank you, Minnesota,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a short post to X.
Walz is calling on the Trump administration to end the violence in the state and for an independent state investigation into the shooting deaths of two American citizens by federal immigration agents.
At a news conference, Homan thanked Walz for urging anti-ICE protesters to remain peaceful.
The Minnesota operation has infuriated congressional Democrats, who have vowed to defund the Department of Homeland Security unless their reform demands are met, including requirements for officers to wear identification badges, remove masks and obtain a judicial warrant before entering homes.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said body cameras will be distributed to all frontline workers across the country, starting in Minneapolis.
But Republicans have rejected several other demands, particularly one to stop requiring government workers to wear masks, arguing that this could expose federal workers to identity theft. Lawmakers appear to be no closer to a deal before the Feb. 13 deadline for funding the agency.
On January 7, Good was shot dead by an immigration officer as she dropped her youngest son off at school. Trump administration officials said his agent, Jonathan Ross, feared for his safety as Goode steered the minivan away from the police who surrounded him. Good’s family disputed characterizations and video footage showing Good speaking reassuringly to agents just before he opened fire.
Preeti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who worked with veterans, was shot and killed on January 24 as she filmed the agents’ activities and tried to intervene as a woman was engaging with them. Preti’s shooting added to calls for the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, which began after Goode’s murder. After Mr. Preti’s death, some Republicans broke with Mr. Trump and called for detente and accountability.
