Amid the turmoil surrounding the shooting death of federal officer Alex Preti, leaders appear ready to make changes.
Trump and Walz discuss immigration enforcement in Minneapolis
President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had a “productive” phone conversation about immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
Minnesota officials say some federal employees will leave Minneapolis starting Tuesday, while the White House will send new officials to take over the state’s immigration enforcement, the face of the administration’s militarized enforcement efforts.
Minnesotans are hopeful that the Trump administration’s immigration policies in the state will begin to loosen after the shooting deaths of Minneapolis residents Renee Nicole Macklin Good and Alex Preti by federal agents.
“I spoke with President Trump today and thanked him for the conversation,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement on Jan. 26. “I expressed how much Minneapolis benefits from our immigrant community, and it was clear that my primary request was that Operation Metro Surge must end. The President agreed that the status quo cannot continue.”
The major change in tone came amid the uproar surrounding Preeti’s shooting death. Shortly after the shooting, Homeland Security officials labeled the 37-year-old intensive care nurse a “domestic terrorist.” Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino said the agents were “victims.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the gun Preti was carrying indicated an intent to “kill law enforcement.”
However, multiple eyewitness videos and witness statements showed Preti did not appear to use a gun, and police say he had a license to carry one. Instead, a Midwestern-raised man appears to have intervened after a masked agent shoved the woman.
The severance between the two countries sparked days of protests across the country in frigid temperatures. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sent in the National Guard. Meanwhile, President Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi called on the state to turn over voter registration records to restore “law and order” in Minnesota.
Trump administration officials said they targeted the Democratic-led state in an immigration crackdown in response to misconduct by welfare program officials related to Somali immigrants.
If the situation on the ground looks like it’s ready for a change, follow us for updates.
For the first time, the White House has publicly taken steps to change its approach in Minnesota, appointing a new official, border czar Tom Homan, to lead the operation.
“Although he is not involved in that area, he knows and likes many of the people there,” Trump said of Homan in a Jan. 26 statement announcing the reorganization. “Tom is tough but fair and reports directly to me.”
Homan is expected to replace Bovino at the Border Patrol, whose response to the Preti shooting was controversial.
The Associated Press, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on January 26, citing anonymous sources, that Bovino plans to leave the Twin Cities. The Atlantic Magazine reported Monday night that Bovino is scheduled to return to duty at the El Centro border station in California.
DHS officials strongly denied Bovino’s resignation, saying in a statement to USA TODAY that “Secretary Gregory Bovino has not been relieved of his duties.”
Amid the backlash following the fatal shooting of two people by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that Americans’ approval ratings for the president’s immigration policies have fallen to their lowest level since he returned to office.
The poll was conducted nationwide from January 23rd to January 25th and collected responses before and after an immigration officer killed a second American in Minneapolis over the weekend. Fifty-three percent of Americans surveyed disapprove of the president’s immigration policies, while 39% approve of President Trump’s immigration policies, down from 41% in the previous Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this month.
According to opinion polls, President Trump’s approval rating has fallen sharply since he took office. Immigration was a hot topic at the time. In February 2025, 50% approved and 41% disapproved.
Click here for more information on the poll results.
– Terry Collins
