Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Announces Minnesota Immigration Surge Is Ending

The Trump administration will end the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota that prompted widespread protests and claimed the lives of two U.S. citizens, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday.

“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said at a news conference in Minneapolis. “A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue to the next week.”

Homan said the decision to end what the administration called “Operation Metro Surge” after two months followed improved cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement. That allows more immigration detentions to occur at jails rather than in operations on the street. He also said local law enforcement agencies are responding more quickly and consistently to protests.

“This surge operation and our work here with state and local officials to improve coordination and achieve mutual goals, as well as our efforts to address issues of concern here on the ground, have yielded the successful results we have came here for,” Homan said. “We are leaving Minnesota safer.”

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On Feb. 4, Homan announced plans to withdraw 700 of the roughly 3,000 agents sent to Minnesota. Further reductions, he said then, would be contingent on more cooperation from local officials. That included giving federal officials greater access to local jails to pick up undocumented people set to be released. In Thursday’s briefing, Homan said those agreements have been strengthened.

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Homan said a “small footprint of personnel” will remain to close out the operation and “transition full command and control back to the field office.” Homan will remain in Minneapolis to oversee the drawdown.

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