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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Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
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Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
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Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has accused Afghanistan’s authorities of fostering conditions “similar to or worse than pre-9/11”, as tensions between the two neighbours intensify amid a surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, saying that “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
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