Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the two-month-old immigration enforcement surge across Minnesota is ending, though a small footprint will remain in the state for “a little longer.”
Homan, who has sought to calm tensions between the White House and state and local officials for two weeks, credited increased local cooperation for the coming drawdown, but warned that far-left agitators could thwart plans to pull out all agents.
“With the success that has been made in arresting public safety threats and other priorities since this surge operation began, as well as the unprecedented levels of coordination we have obtained from state officials and local law enforcement, I have proposed — and President Trump has concurred — that this surge operation conclude,” Homan told reporters in Minneapolis.
“A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue into the next week,” he added, without specifying how many federal personnel would be leaving the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The border czar credited Operation Metro Surge with more than 4,000 arrests and the recovery of 3,364 unaccompanied migrant children, whom he claimed “the last administration lost and weren’t even looking for.”
“Just this week,” Homan continued, ICE nabbed an illegal immigrant who had been convicted of raping a child under the age of 14.
“ICE also arrested two criminal aliens with criminal sexual misconduct convictions, among other violent criminals,” he added.
Homan also denied accusations that ICE had made arrests in schools, churches, and hospitals, saying that he could not find any proof of that occurring other than the nine demonstrators — including former CNN anchor Don Lemon — who were apprehended for storming a church service in St. Paul, Jan. 18.
At its height, Operation Metro Surge saw more than 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol personnel swarm Minneapolis, triggering local unrest.
Last week, Homan announced a drawdown of about 700 personnel, bringing the federal force on the ground down to about 2,000.
Roughly 150 federal immigration enforcement officers were present in Minneapolis before the surge began, Homan told reporters last week.
“Operation Metro Surge is ending,” Homan confirmed. “Next week, we’re going to deploy the officers here on detail back to their home stations and other areas of the country. But we’re going to continue to enforce immigration law.”
However, the border honcho stressed that “since I have been here, I’ve repeatedly emphasized that the unlawful and violent agitator activity is unacceptable and must wind down as a condition for further drawdown of law enforcement personnel.
“I cannot remove law enforcement personnel while violence poses a serious risk to our officers; I will not leave my officers in that position.”
The administration ordered the Minnesota surge late last year in response to a massive welfare fraud scandal that drew national attention, much of it focused on the Somali diaspora in the Twin Cities.
On Jan. 26, Trump dispatched Homan to Minnesota following nationwide uproar over the fatal shootings of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Homan had reportedly been at odds with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem over immigration enforcement strategy, wanting to prioritize criminal illegal aliens rather than an aggressive catchall strategy against everyone residing in the US illegally.
Trump has stood by Noem amid fierce criticism of her and demands by Democrats that she resign or be fired.
Publicly, Homan repeatedly demanded that local authorities give the Trump administration access to prisons holding illegal immigrants arrested by local cops.
“As far as the jails, we got more cooperation with more jails than we had before we got here. That’s a good thing. We’re having conversations with the state,” he added. “We’re moving further on other agreements for the state.
“The cooperation we have here, it’s going to keep this city safer. It’s going to keep our agents safer.”
