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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Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began the second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Azerbaijan and Armenia used a high-profile international platform in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to underline growing trade ties, expanding cooperation and what both leaders described as an irreversible turn towards peace after decades of conflict.
A landmark gathering of commercial and political minds has convened in the Kyrgyz capital, signalling a significant shift in Washington’s foreign policy approach towards the Eurasian heartland.
Uzbekistan is accelerating plans to expand uranium production and deepen international nuclear cooperation, positioning the sector as a pillar of long-term industrial growth and resource security.
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Mexico said it will stop sending oil to Cuba as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the Caribbean nation.
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has acquired his artificial intelligence firm xAI, as the billionaire moves to bring more of his technology businesses under one structure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Tuesday (3 February) of exploiting a U.S.-backed energy ceasefire to stockpile weapons and launch large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine ahead of peace talks.
National teams competing at Milano Cortina 2026 are unveiling distinct fashion identities, with designers from Lululemon to Armani and Moncler introducing ceremonial and technical uniforms that blend cultural heritage, national colours and modern winter-performance design.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began the second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk said the search at his social media platform X offices in Paris on Tuesday by French authorities was a "political attack".
Thousands of documents linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been taken down from the U.S. Justice Department’s (DOJ) website after victims and their lawyers warned that sensitive personal information had been exposed.
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