The Trump administration will withdraw 700 ICE agents from Minnesota, scaling back its immigration enforcement surge, border czar Tom Homan said on Wednesday.
Homan said the drawdown follows what he described as “unprecedented cooperation” from Minnesota’s elected sheriffs and local authorities, particularly in county jails, which he said has improved the efficiency of immigration enforcement operations.
“Let me be clear, President Trump fully intends to achieve mass deportations during this administration, and immigration enforcement actions will continue every day throughout this country,” Homan told reporters. “President Trump made a promise. And we have not directed otherwise.”
Thousands of federal immigration agents, mostly from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have been deployed in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul in recent months as part of an operation the administration has referred to as Operation Metro Surge. The Department of Homeland Security says about 3,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since the operation began.
After the withdrawal of 700 agents, around 2,000 federal officers are expected to remain in Minnesota, most of them concentrated in the Twin Cities area, according to Homan.
The surge has triggered protests and drawn national attention following the killing of two U.S. citizens during encounters involving federal agents in Minnesota.
Homan said stronger coordination with state and local officials now allows more individuals to be taken into custody directly from jails, reducing the need for street-level operations.
“More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails means fewer officers on the street doing criminal operations,” he said. “This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement.”
The White House has sent mixed signals on whether the Minnesota deployment represents a broader shift in strategy or a tactical adjustment. While Homan described the move as a step toward ending the surge, Trump has repeatedly said his administration remains committed to aggressive nationwide immigration enforcement.
The partial withdrawal comes as immigration continues to be a central issue for Trump, who has made mass deportations and border security key pillars of his domestic agenda.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning at this year's COP31 summit, saying the climate crisis iss advancing faster than governments' efforts to contain it.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing disruption to factories, ports, shops and public transport just weeks before a snap general election.
Iran has unveiled a new underground missile and drone base, warning that it will respond forcefully to any attack, as tensions persist with the U.S. and oil tankers continue to be struck by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Tajikistan is urging regional allies to step up support for its border with Afghanistan following a series of deadly armed incidents. Despite building more than 80 new border outposts, Dushanbe says it needs further assistance to secure its southern frontier.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine, but warned that any foreign troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets by Moscow.
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