Border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that the Trump administration will be reducing the number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota.
“Given this increase in unprecedented collaboration, and as a result of the need of less law enforcement officers to do this work in a safer environment, I am announcing, effective immediately, we will draw down 700 people,” Homan said.
That represents a 25 percent reduction in the current level of federal agents, leaving 2,000 slated to remain in the state, with most concentrated in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, CNBC reported.
JUST IN: Trump border czar Tom Homan said they will “draw down” 700 agents in the Minneapolis area “effective immediately.”https://t.co/Vg5KaOlJaO pic.twitter.com/5jLhsFkNs1
— ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2026
Homan said there is now “unprecedented cooperation” in the number of counties communicating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails means less officers on the street doing criminal operations. This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement. It’s safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien,” he noted.
.@RealTomHoman: “More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails means less officers on the street doing criminal operations… It’s safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien.” pic.twitter.com/Ec7pQaiMWk
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 4, 2026
A Harvard/Harris poll released Monday found that 82 percent of Americans support deporting illegal aliens who have committed serious crimes. Additionally, 67 percent believe local officials should cooperate with federal immigration authorities in deporting illegal immigrants who have committed offenses.
NEW JANUARY @Harvard / @HarrisXdata POLL:
Voters strongly support deporting undocumented immigrants who commit serious crimes but oppose deporting those with long-standing ties and no criminal record.
• 82% support deporting undocumented immigrants who committed serious… pic.twitter.com/VpOzfZam4z
— HarrisX (@HarrisXdata) February 2, 2026
Homan said, “My goal, with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can, but that is largely contingent upon the end of the illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we’re seeing in the communities.”
“We will not draw down on the personnel providing security for our officers. I will not let our officers be put at risk,” he emphasized.
“It is against the law to forcefully assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with federal law enforcement,” Homan said, including doxxing officers.
.@RealTomHoman in Minneapolis: “My goal was to, with the support of @POTUS, is to achieve a compete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can, but that is largely contingent upon the end of the illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners…” pic.twitter.com/yZYqi7MqHZ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 4, 2026
The border czar also listed some of the crimes of those apprehended by ICE during its surge in Minneapolis.
They included 14 with homicide convictions, 139 with assault convictions, 87 with sex offenses, and 28 gang members, according to Homan.
“We’ve taken a lot of bad people off the street,” he said. “Everybody should be grateful for that.”
WATCH: @RealTomHoman list some of the stats displaying how immigration enforcement efforts have made Minneapolis safer: “We’ve take A LOT of bad people off the street. Everybody should be grateful for that.” pic.twitter.com/qT4ToGYOt2
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 4, 2026
Homan also pointed out that those who impede ICE officers during their operations are violating federal law.
He told reporters that during the past month, 158 individuals had been arrested for interfering with immigration enforcement operations, and 85 cases have been accepted for prosecution, with the rest pending.
Further, nine people have been indicted of those who raided Cities Church during a worship service last month in St. Paul to protest ICE operations.
Last week, President Donald Trump announced he was sending Homan to take charge of immigration enforcement operations in the area following the death of ICE protester Alex Pretti after he got in a skirmish with federal agents.
Homan, a former Border Patrol and ICE officer, has sought to dial down the temperature between federal officials and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Walz responded to Homan’s announcement, writing in a social media post, “Operation Metro Surge is not making Minnesota safer. Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction, but we need a faster and larger drawdown of forces, state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution.”
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