MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — President Donald Trump’s border czar said Wednesday the White House will pull 700 federal immigration officers from the Minnesota ICE surge after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed during enforcement operations. Tom Homan said cooperation from some county sheriffs helped prompt the shift, but about 2,000 federal officers will remain as Minnesota leaders demand the deployment end, Feb. 4, 2026.
Minnesota ICE drawdown leaves about 2,000 officers in place
The departing officers come from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), part of the enforcement campaign the administration calls Operation Metro Surge. Reuters reported the federal presence grew to roughly 3,000 officers by the end of January, far above the normal staffing level in the state.
Homan said the reduction was made possible by “unprecedented” cooperation from some county sheriffs who run local jails, which could allow more arrests in custody instead of in neighborhoods. “Let me be clear, President Trump fully intends to achieve mass deportations,” Homan said.
“This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement,” Homan said, according to Time magazine, as he pointed to efforts to expand body-worn cameras and tighten supervision of the operation.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey welcomed the drawdown but said it did not resolve the larger dispute over the Minnesota ICE deployment. “2,000 ICE officers still here is not de-escalation,” Frey said.
How the surge escalated
The pullback comes after weeks of mounting backlash. In early January, the Department of Homeland Security described the operation as its largest ever, with about 2,000 officers expected in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, according to an Associated Press report.
As agents arrived, reports of disruption spread beyond immigration arrests. Minnesota Public Radio reported that Minneapolis schools canceled classes after an encounter involving Border Patrol agents near Roosevelt High School during dismissal time.
By mid-January, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Twin Cities officials had gone to federal court to try to curb the surge, arguing it violated constitutional protections, according to a Jan. 12 Reuters report.
The drawdown also follows two fatal shootings that have become flashpoints in the debate over use of force. Renée Good was shot and killed Jan. 7 while sitting in her car, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, was fatally shot Jan. 24 on a city street, The Washington Post reported.
What comes next for Minnesota ICE
Homan has said he wants to return Minnesota ICE staffing to normal levels, but offered no timetable for further reductions. CBS Minnesota reported the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said its policy “has not changed” and it does not assist with civil immigration enforcement.
For residents, the next test is whether enforcement shifts toward less visible, more accountable operations — and whether investigations into the shootings answer basic questions about how the surge was managed. For the White House, Minnesota ICE has become an early measure of how aggressively it can pursue mass deportations in places where local leaders refuse to participate.
