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.
Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stro...
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian w...
Georgia has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), formally taking over on 22 April in Vienna and pla...
An Israeli airstrike killed five Palestinians, including three children, near a mosque in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (22 F...
U.S. Senate Republicans voted early on Thursday to advance a $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patro...
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.
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
Lufthansa will cut around 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule as it moves to address sharply rising fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict.
U.S. Senate Republicans voted early on Thursday to advance a $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for three years.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
Pope Leo urged young people and families to embrace reconciliation and lead with dignity as he spoke at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea on the final day of his Africa tour.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment