Trump ending aggressive Minnesota immigration crackdown

US President Donald Trump’s point man on Thursday announced the end of an aggressive immigration operation in Minnesota that triggered large protests and nationwide outrage following the killing of two US citizens. Thousands of federal agents including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted weeks of sweeping raids and arrests in what the administration claims were targeted missions against criminals. “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude,” Trump official Tom Homan told a briefing outside Minneapolis. “A significant drawdown has already been under way this week and will continue through the next week.” The operation sparked tense demonstrations in the Minneapolis area, and the fatal separate shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti last month led to a wave of criticism. Homan raised the prospect that the officers would move to another location but gave no details, and speculation is rife about which city might be targeted next. “In the next week, we’re going to deploy the officers here on detail, back to their home stations or other areas of the country where they are needed. But we’re going to continue to enforce immigration law,” he said. Campaigning against illegal immigration helped Trump get elected in 2024, but daily videos from Minnesota of violent masked agents, and multiple reports of people being targeted on flimsy evidence, helped send the US president’s approval ratings plummeting. The case of Liam Conejo Ramos, five, who was detained on January 20, also stoked anger. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the ICE operation in his city “had been catastrophic for our neighbours and businesses, and now it’s time for a great comeback. “We will show the same commitment to our immigrant residents,” he added. After the killings of Good and Pretti, the Republican president withdrew combative Customs and Border Protection commander Gregory Bovino and replaced him with Homan who sought to engage local Democratic leaders. Minneapolis is a Democratic-run “sanctuary” city where local police do not cooperate with federal immigration officials. “I don’t buy it,” said Molly, a 42-year-old resident and banking product manager. “They pulled the same public relations (stunt) in Los Angeles,” she said referring to an immigration crackdown to the Californian city last summer. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the ICE deployment in his state an “unprecedented federal invasion in all aspects of life”. “This is something I don’t think any state has ever experienced,” he said Thursday, adding that he was “cautiously optimistic” about the withdrawal. Democrats have called for major reforms to ICE, including ending mobile patrols, prohibiting agents from concealing their faces and requiring warrants. If political negotiations over ICE fail in Washington, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could face a funding shortfall starting Saturday. On Thursday Democrats in the Senate blocked a push to fund DHS following an acrimonious four-hour hearing on the immigration crackdown. Customs and Border Protection and ICE operations could continue using funds approved by Congress last year, but other subagencies such as federal disaster organisation FEMA could be affected. Homan said that some officers would stay behind in Minnesota but did not give a figure. “The Twin Cities, Minnesota in general, are and will continue to be, much safer for the communities here because of what we have accomplished under President Trump’s leadership,” Homan said at the briefing on the outskirts of Minneapolis and neighbouring St Paul. He said more than 200 people had been arrested during the operation for interfering with federal officers, but gave no estimate for the number of immigration-linked arrests and deportations. “The lasting impact of these traumas will reverberate for years, but our communities have shown how connected and resilient we are,” Liz Digitale Anderson, a community organiser, said.

Trump ending aggressive Minnesota immigration crackdown

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Trump administration retreats from Minnesota, and speculation is rife about which cities might be targeted next

The Trump administration retreats from Minnesota, and speculation is rife about which cities might be targeted next