White House border czar says 700 federal agents will leave Minnesota

Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said about 700 federal agents would leave Minnesota, a large drop in agents on the ground but still leaving about 2,000 agents there, far above typical levels for the state.

Homan said the reduction came as county jails were negotiating over increased coordination with federal officials, though it’s not clear which counties have agreed to coordinate with immigration enforcement officials.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Minnesota sheriffs are negotiating with Homan for a plan that would see county jails holding immigrants for up to 48 hours after their release date from state custody. Homan said Wednesday that agreements wouldn’t keep people in custody for any longer than their set sentences.

Sheriffs who agree to participate would notify immigration enforcement agents before they’re released, and agents would be able to pick the person up from a jail, reducing the need for street operations that require more agents, Homan said.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections already facilitates transfers of people who have completed felony sentences in state prisons, when federal agents are present to take custody. But it does not operate county jails – where most immigration encounters occur – and many sheriffs across the state choose not to work with ICE.

In Minneapolis, for example, Hennepin county does not notify federal immigration authorities when undocumented immigrants are booked or arrested, and is barred under state law from honoring requests to hold someone past their release time so immigration officers can take custody – known as ICE detainers.

Homan said the mission in Minnesota has been “very effective as far as public safety goes” but acknowledged problems. Two US citizens were killed by federal agents in Minnesota in January, another person was shot, and countless people observing and protesting against ICE have been detained, some of whom have reported violent arrests and injuries. People who are in the country legally have reported being detained. Many of those taken by ICE do not have criminal records.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Tim Walz said he had met with Homan that morning. The Minnesota governor said his expectation was that Homan would draw down the number of agents in the state and give the state the ability to investigate the killings of two US citizens by federal agents. Walz said he wanted a return to lower numbers of agents, the about 100-150 who regularly work in the state, working solely on those with violent convictions.

Walz said it’s not that the federal government has had a change of heart; it’s that they know they’re losing politically.

“I don’t see how they continue on with this in any way that makes any sense, both politically and operationally for them,” he said. Still, he’s looking for more than rhetoric from the administration. “None of this matters unless there’s proof on the ground.”

Homan said his goal, with the support of Donald Trump, is to completely draw down the surge of agents as soon as possible, but blamed the community’s response to immigration enforcement on the prolonged, heightened activity.

“A complete drawdown is going to depend on cooperation, continued cooperation, of local and state law enforcement and a decrease of the violence, the rhetoric and the attacks against ICE and border patrol,” he said.

He referenced “filter blockades” set up in some parts of Minneapolis – basically, makeshift roadblocks designed to slow down agents from entering neighborhoods. Minneapolis police have removed some of them. These roadblocks don’t stop agents, he said. “You’re not going to stop ICE. You’ll never stop border patrol,” he said.

Homan said he has had “frank, honest discussions” with the governor, and with Jacob Frey, the Minneapolis mayor, and Keith Ellison, the attorney general, since he came to the state, noting that they don’t agree on everything but that all acknowledge a role for ICE to enforce immigration laws.

Homan said enforcement in the state is targeted, with agents having a specific person and location in mind when they attempt to detain someone, but that if they find other people who are undocumented in the course of that target, they will also detain and deport them.

“We’re not surrendering our mission. We’re not walking away from our mission. We’re just making this more effective and more smart,” Homan said. “We’re not surrendering the president’s mission on a mass deportation operation. If you’re in the country illegally, if we find you, we will deport you.”