Minnesota DHS Surge Will End, Border Czar Says

Border czar Tom Homan said Thursday the immigration enforcement surge operation in Minnesota will end.

“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said at a press conference.

The Minnesota deportation push, called Operation Metro Surge, led to the arrest of more than 4,000 immigrants, the White House announced last week. It also led to mass protests, the death of two U.S. citizens who were shot by federal immigration officers, and it coincided with a huge drop in Americans’ approval of Trump’s deportation tactics, according to polling.

The border czar claimed victory in the operation, saying agents have “greatly reduced the number of targets for enforcement action” and arrested violent criminals. The Department of Homeland Security removed 700 agents from Minnesota last week and left 2,000 others to continue deportation operations. The typical number of agents there is about 150, Homan said previously.

It is unclear how many agents will remain, but Homan said Thursday that some would stay to conclude the operation and to “ensure agitator activity continues to decline, and that state and local law enforcement continue to respond to ensure officer and community safety.”

DHS did not provide a specific number of agents who will remain on the ground when asked for comment, but said: “Homeland Security Investigators will remain surged to Minneapolis as we continue our widescale investigation to identify, arrest and hold accountable bad actors who are defrauding the American people on a massive scale.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told reporters after the announcement that Homan assured him officers would leave “as soon as they can pack their stuff, book a plane, move on.”

“I would volunteer: We will help you get to the airport,” Walz said. “We will clear the roads to get you to the airport. I will come over and pack your damn bags, if that’s what it takes.”

It’s not clear whether the Trump administration received the policy changes it demanded in return for its drawdown. Homan said as a result of the operation, local law enforcement in Minnesota plans to cooperate more with Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts by turning over people in jails.

“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals. And we are proud of the public safety threats we have removed from the criminal aims of the state,” Homan said.

Local officials have said that this was already happening prior to and during the surge — in fact, some of the arrests the administration touted were of people transferred into ICE custody from jail, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

Walz said in terms of local law enforcement policy, “Nothing has changed.”

He said the biggest change was that Homan met with state and local leaders and they were able to explain their policies, whereas other Trump administration officials didn’t listen to them. Walz said that federal officials asked him to urge protesters to remain peaceful, as he has before.

“My take was they knew they needed to get out of here, but, in very Trumpian fashion, they needed to save face,” Walz said.

Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have strongly condemned the immigration operation and repeatedly called for DHS forces to leave the state.

“They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation,” Frey said in a statement. “These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance — standing with our neighbors is deeply American. This operation has been catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now it’s time for a great comeback.”

Minnesota and multiple cities sued the Trump administration in January over the operation, arguing it was unconstitutional and that the state was being targeted over its politics. A federal judge declined to halt the operation while that lawsuit is pending.

Homan took over DHS’s Minnesota operation following the death of Alex Pretti and the subsequent removal of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino. Pretti’s killing, the second of an American citizen in Minneapolis during the surge, heightened scrutiny of the Department of Homeland Security, with lawmakers calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign and agents to leave the city.

“We don’t want to see any more bloodshed. I don’t want to see any more bloodshed,” Homan said.

Homan said the end of the Minnesota operation should not be interpreted to mean that Trump has abandoned his plan of mass deportations.

“We have a lot of work to do across this country to remove public safety risk, who shouldn’t even be in this country, and to deliver on President Trump’s promise for strong border security and mass deportation,” Homan said.

This article has been updated with additional comments from officials.