Border Czar Orders Withdrawal of 700 Federal Agents From Minnesota
Tom Homan announced an immediate drawdown of 700 ICE and Border Patrol officers from Minnesota, leaving about 2,000 agents under Operation Metro Surge.
Overview
White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced the immediate withdrawal of 700 ICE and Border Patrol agents from Minnesota, reducing the Operation Metro Surge footprint to about 2,000 officers.
The drawdown follows the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good and escalating protests and clashes over immigration enforcement, officials said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the partial pullback is insufficient and demanded a full end to Operation Metro Surge, while Homan said agents will wear body cameras.
DHS officials said the surge has resulted in about 4,000 arrests and reported more than 1,360 immigration detainers in Minnesota, a figure state officials dispute as closer to 300.
Homan said restoring a "normal operation footprint" of about 150 agents depends on decreased violence and local cooperation, and documents show county jails are negotiating agreements to hold inmates up to 48 hours.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as skeptical of expanded ICE-jail cooperation, using cautionary language ('crackdown,' 'alarmingly') and privileging state officials' perspectives (Ellison, Schnell) over DHS claims. They highlight DHS/state number discrepancies and a high-profile deportation case, emphasizing potential legal and public-safety harms rather than operational ICE goals.
Sources (4)
FAQ
Operation Metro Surge is an ICE and CBP operation launched in December 2025 targeting undocumented immigrants in Minnesota, starting in the Twin Cities and expanding statewide, involving up to 3,000 agents at its peak.
Border Czar Tom Homan ordered the withdrawal following fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, escalating protests, and clashes, aiming to reduce to a normal footprint of about 2,000 agents contingent on decreased violence and increased local cooperation.
DHS reports about 4,000 arrests of criminal illegal aliens and over 1,360 immigration detainers in Minnesota, though state officials dispute the detainer figure as closer to 300.
Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded a full end to the operation, calling the partial pullback insufficient; the state and cities sued to halt it, alleging constitutional violations and political retaliation.
Homan announced agents will wear body cameras nationwide, special agents on fraud investigations will stay, and full drawdown depends on ending violence against ICE and improving local cooperation.
History
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