U.S. border tsar Tom Homan, newly appointed to oversee President Donald Trump's immigration policies in Minneapolis, said agents would concentrate on targeted, strategic enforcement following weeks of criticism over heavy-handed tactics.
He said the 3,000 agents deployed to the area may be reduced after meetings with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials.
According to Homan, coordination had improved across agencies, prompting expectations of operational changes.
A directive reviewed by Reuters instructs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to avoid unnecessary contact with protesters described in the memo as agitators.
It also limits enforcement to immigrants with criminal charges or convictions. The shift replaces earlier street checks that required people to produce proof of legal U.S. residence on demand.
Homan said teams would focus on individuals considered threats to public safety or national security but stressed that the wider enforcement mission remained.
His comments contrasted with remarks from President Trump, who warned on his Truth Social platform that Mayor Frey was "playing with fire" by refusing to involve city authorities in immigration enforcement roles.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said 16 people were arrested on Wednesday (28 January) for allegedly assaulting or obstructing federal agents.
In a separate development, a federal judge in Minneapolis said ICE had ignored dozens of court orders during the operation.
Judge Patrick Schiltz cited 96 violations in 74 cases and said the pattern raised serious rule-of-law questions.
Observers tracking ICE activity told Reuters that raids slowed on Tuesday before resuming on Wednesday in a more focused form.
Trump had earlier said he wanted to reduce tensions and replaced Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino with Homan after sharp criticism of earlier tactics.
The state of Minnesota has been unsettled since the launch of Operation Metro Surge and the fatal shootings of Renee Good on 7 January and intensive care nurse Alex Pretti days later.
Officials initially described both as domestic terrorists, claims widely challenged after videos of the shootings emerged.
Footage verified by Reuters shows Pretti holding only a phone when agents forced him to the ground.
An agent removed a handgun from his waist moments before another officer shot him in the back while he was restrained. Pretti had a legal permit to carry the firearm.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 11th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least 13 people have been injured in two shootings in Minneapolis within 12 hours, police said.
The gunman who killed two children and injured 18 others at a Minneapolis church on Wednesday was fixated on murdering children, after leaving behind detailed writings and ammunition stockpiles say authorities.
Communities gathered at a candlelight vigil in Lynnhurst Park, Minneapolis on Wednesday with Minnesota lawmakers urging national action on gun control following a deadly shooting at a Catholic church earlier that day which killed two children and wounded 17 people.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
Russian-flagged tanker carrying approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil docked at Cuba's Matanzas oil terminal on Tuesday, shipping data confirmed, marking a vital and controversial delivery to an island paralysed by severe energy shortages and a suffocating U.S. blockade.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 30 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital Damascus as Israeli air defences intercepted Iranian missiles, Syrian state television reported on Tuesday.
In a dramatic shake-up at the top of the U.S. Justice Department, President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post, a White House official confirmed on Thursday.
American President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to pull the United States out of NATO after European nations refused to join a U.S.-led naval mission to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
France has unveiled a delayed wave of renewable energy tenders to boost energy independence and strengthen domestic and European industry.
China is emerging as one of the more stable economies amid the latest global oil shock, thanks to years of planning, diversified energy sources and a steady shift towards renewable power.
In a major policy reversal, the U.S. Treasury has removed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, from its sanctions list, signalling a sharp shift in Washington’s approach to Caracas.
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