Trump border tsar removing 700 immigration officers from Minnesota immediately
Tom Homan’s comments came after US President Donald Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in the region
The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue its enforcement operation that has sparked weeks of tensions and deadly confrontations, border tsar Tom Homan said on Wednesday.
About 700 federal officers – roughly a quarter of the total deployed to Minnesota – will be withdrawn immediately after state and local officials agreed over the past week to cooperate by turning over arrested immigrants, Homan said.
But he did not provide a timeline for when the administration might end the operation that has become a flashpoint in the debate over President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts since the fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said the surge in Minnesota that ramped up dramatically in early January is its “largest immigration operation ever”. Masked, heavily armed officers have been met by resistance from residents who are upset with their aggressive tactics.
A widespread pull-out, Homan said, will only occur after protesters stop interfering with federal agents carrying out arrests and setting up roadblocks to impede the operations. About 2,000 officers will remain in the state after this week’s drawdown, he said.
“Given this increase in unprecedented collaboration, and as a result of the need for less public safety officers to do this work and a safer environment, I am announcing, effective immediately, we’ll draw down 700 people effective today – 700 law enforcement personnel,” Homan said during a news conference.