White House border czar Tom Homan announced Sunday that over 1,000 immigration agents have already departed Minnesota’s Twin Cities area, with several hundred more expected to leave in the coming days, as part of the Trump administration’s reduction of its presence.
Homan informed CBS’s Face the Nation that a “small” security contingent would remain for a brief period to safeguard the remaining immigration agents and to intervene “when our agents are out and they get surrounded by agitators and things got out of control.” He did not specify what constituted a “small” force.
He also mentioned that agents would continue to monitor situations, including the anti-immigration enforcement protest that occurred at a church service.
“We have already removed well over 1,000 people, and by Monday, Tuesday, we will remove several hundred more,” Homan stated. “We’ll get back to the original footprint.”
Thousands of officers were deployed to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Operation Surge.” The Department of Homeland Security described it as its largest operation and deemed it successful. However, the crackdown faced increasing criticism as the situation grew more volatile and two U.S. citizens were killed.
Certain activities became common. A network of residents worked to assist immigrants, warn of approaching agents, or film immigration officers’ actions. The shooting deaths of two individuals by federal officers drew condemnation and raised questions over officers’ conduct, prompting changes to the operation.
Homan had previously indicated that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota immediately, but this still meant more than 2,000 remained in the state. He confirmed on Thursday that a “significant drawdown” was already in progress and would continue throughout the current week.
Homan affirmed that enforcement would not cease in the Twin Cities and that mass deportations would continue nationwide. Officers departing Minnesota are to report back to their stations or be assigned elsewhere.
When questioned about whether future deployments could match the scale of the Twin Cities operation, Homan responded, “it depends on the situation.”