Homan Strikes Deal In Minnesota, Yanks Hundreds Of Immigration Officers
Border czar Tom Homan announced a dramatic drawdown of federal immigration personnel in Minnesota on Wednesday, following what he described as “unprecedented” cooperation with local authorities across the state. Effective immediately, 700 federal immigration agents will depart the Twin Cities area, leaving roughly 2,000 federal immigration officers in Minnesota.
The decision comes after Homan secured agreements with dozens of county governments to allow ICE to assume custody of illegal aliens directly from local jails, eliminating the need for larger street operations. “We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now,” Homan said. “This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement.”
Homan emphasized that the move isn’t a retreat from President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Rather, he framed it as a strategic shift. “More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails means less officers on the street doing criminal operations,” he said. “Safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien.”
The restructuring also unites ICE and Border Patrol under a single command structure in Minnesota. Homan said past operations suffered from disjointed chains of command and inefficient deployments. “Any large amount of force, an operation I’ve ever been involved with, there’s one chain of command,” he noted.
The leadership change follows deadly unrest in the state. President Trump sent Homan to take over in Minneapolis after the fatal shooting of two anti-ICE protesters during separate confrontations with federal agents. Homan replaced Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, whose aggressive, media-facing tactics had drawn attention and controversy.
To prevent further incidents, Homan said he asked local police chiefs to assist if protests against ICE operations become violent. “Every chief I talked to… promised to respond to any public safety issue when our officers are out doing their sworn duty,” he said. Homan also stated that sheriffs across Minnesota have been receptive to his outreach, with no outright rejections so far.
James Stuart of the Minnesota Sheriffs Association confirmed that most local sheriffs support better coordination with ICE, though formal agreements remain a “work in progress.” As part of the Trump administration’s push for transparency, Homan announced that all federal immigration officers operating in Minneapolis will now wear body cameras during enforcement actions.
Homan reiterated that while future operations will focus on criminal aliens, “anyone who is in the country illegally is still on the table.” The Trump administration’s deportation campaign, he said, is entering a new phase—more streamlined, more cooperative, and, he insisted, more effective.