Homan Says Immigration Enforcement Will Continue In Minneapolis
White House border policy adviser Tom Homan said Thursday that federal immigration enforcement in the Minneapolis area will remain in place and that undocumented immigrants without legal status remain eligible for arrest and deportation under U.S. law.
Homan, who was sent to Minnesota this week to oversee immigration operations following recent tensions and fatal shootings involving federal officers, spoke at a news conference in Minneapolis. He reiterated that the federal presence will be reduced only as cooperation with local authorities improves, particularly through agreements to notify federal agents when individuals in custody are set for release from local jails.
The border chief reported a “very productive” meeting on Wednesday with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. During the meeting, Ellison agreed to notify ICE when local jails are preparing to release violent illegal aliens, addressing a longstanding request from federal law enforcement.
“One ICE agent can arrest one bad guy when he’s behind the safety and security of a jail when he’s behind bars and we know he doesn’t have weapons,” Homan said. “But when you release that public safety threat illegal alien back into the community—we have a job to do. We’re going to arrest him, so we’re going to find him.”
He reiterated what he has stated often in the past – that releasing violent illegal aliens back into the community not only puts civilians at risk but also federal officers.
“So now what happens is now we’ve got to arrest somebody on his turf where he has access to who knows what weapons,” he said. “Now we’ve got to send a whole team out.”
“President Trump wants this fixed and I’m going to fix it with your help,” Homan said, adding that federal agents will continue to enforce immigration laws.
“We’re going to do our jobs,” he said. “And we’re not leaving until this problem is gone.”
The Trump administration has also signaled plans to focus enforcement more narrowly, shifting away from broad street sweeps and concentrating on cases involving serious criminal records. Homan emphasized that enforcement actions will continue while the strategic shift is implemented.
Homan’s comments come as Minnesota grapples with protests and legal challenges tied to a larger federal immigration operation in the state, and as tensions persist between federal authorities and local officials over enforcement tactics and sanctuary policies.
Meanwhile, Minnesota State Patrol officers deployed a military-grade crowd-control device Monday night as unrest over federal immigration enforcement spread into the suburbs following days of violent demonstrations in the Twin Cities.
Troopers confronted roughly 200 protesters outside the SpringHill Suites in Maple Grove, where demonstrators believed federal immigration agents were staying.
When the crowd ignored repeated dispersal orders, officers announced they would activate a long-range acoustic device, or LRAD — a system designed for the U.S. military to project focused, high-decibel sound waves that can command or disperse crowds.
The LRAD, often mounted on vehicles or tripods, can transmit clear voice messages for miles or emit ear-splitting deterrent tones that disrupt balance and cause intense discomfort. Officials confirmed the device was used only in voice mode, not for deterrent tones, though online rumors claimed otherwise.
Authorities declared the gathering unlawful after protesters damaged property, blocked traffic, and threw debris at officers. The confrontation ended with 26 arrests for unlawful assembly and riotous conduct.
The protest came amid fallout from the fatal January 24 shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was killed during a clash with federal agents in Minneapolis.
The incident ignited nightly protests tied to Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s effort to remove criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota.
Law enforcement sources said demonstrators targeted the hotel, believing acting Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and several agents were inside, though officials have not confirmed that.
