Border Officers Leaving Minnesota: 700 Federal Staff Impacted

The Trump administration is reducing the number of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota following the fatal shootings of two residents by federal agents last month. Approximately 700 agents will be withdrawn from the operation, border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday.

Federal Agent Withdrawal in Minnesota

Homan, dispatched to the state last week amid criticism of heavy-handed tactics, said the withdrawal includes a mix of officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Roughly 3,000 federal officers are currently deployed in the state as part of Operation Metro Surge, which began in early December.

Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed on Jan. 7 by an ICE officer. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old critical-care nurse, was fatally shot on Jan. 24 by two Border Patrol officers. Another resident was shot in the leg by a federal officer between these incidents.

The federal government maintains the surge is necessary to remove criminal immigrants from the streets and address obstructions caused by state and local “sanctuary laws and policies.” “We’ve taken a lot of bad people off the street. Everyone should be grateful for that,” Homan said.

Democrats Demand Accountability

Following the shootings, several Trump administration officials initially defended the actions of the officers, portraying Good and Pretti as interfering with their work. However, videos of the shootings contradicted some of these claims.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem recently announced that all ICE and CBP officers in the state will be issued body-worn cameras to improve accountability. More information on the body-worn camera initiative is available here.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called for a smaller federal presence, state-led investigations into the deaths of Pretti and Good, and an end to what he called a “campaign of retribution.” “Operation Metro Surge is not making Minnesota safer,” Walz said. “Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction, but we need a faster and larger drawdown of forces.”

Democrats have been seeking changes to rein in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations. Discussions are underway in Congress regarding potential new rules for ICE and CBP officers, following the shootings in Minneapolis and a similar incident in Chicago last year.

However, it remains unclear whether President Trump or enough congressional Republicans will support the Democrats’ proposals, which include requiring officers to unmask and identify themselves, and obtain judicial warrants in specific cases.

Tensions Remain High

Homan stated that a complete withdrawal of officers is contingent upon the cessation of activities targeting ICE officers, including road blockades. He reported nearly 160 cases involving individuals charged with intimidating or impeding federal officers.

Despite Homan’s arrival and the recall of divisive U.S. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, tensions in Minnesota remain high. On Tuesday, immigration officers with weapons drawn arrested activists trailing their vehicles in Minneapolis, with at least one individual handcuffed while face-down on the ground, as witnessed by an Associated Press photographer.

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the activists were detained for hindering the arrest of a man in the country illegally.

Minnesota officials have raised concerns after federal officials blocked state investigators from accessing evidence in the Good shooting and asserted that Minnesota lacks jurisdiction to investigate her death. The Justice Department also initially declined to open a civil rights investigation into her death.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced last week that the Justice Department is opening a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Pretti.

Blanche and other Justice Department officials have not explained why an investigation was launched into Pretti’s death but not Good’s.

The Trump administration also announced last month an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging they were impeding the federal immigration effort. It is not clear if that probe is ongoing. Homan said Wednesday that productive discussions have been ongoing with Walz, Frey and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

A new wave of departures is occurring within the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota, with at least six attorneys leaving last month amid disagreements over the Justice Department’s response to Good’s shooting. At least one supervisory agent in the FBI’s Minneapolis office also resigned last month.