Border Czar Tom Homan landed in Minneapolis with a message that was equal parts warning and reset — and he didn’t miss the chance to take a swipe at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem along the way.
Standing at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on Wednesday, Homan announced that the Trump administration will immediately pull 700 federal law enforcement agents out of Minnesota, marking a significant shift in the controversial Operation Metro Surge. The move follows weeks of unrest, deadly confrontations, and internal frustration inside the administration over how the immigration crackdown has been handled.
Homan openly conceded the operation had not been “perfect,” a remark widely seen as a pointed critique of Noem, his longtime rival, whose handling of the fallout from two fatal shootings drew the ire of President Donald Trump. Noem had inflamed tensions after echoing White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s claim that Alex Pretti — one of the men killed during ICE-related encounters — was a “domestic terrorist.” That characterization reportedly infuriated Trump and helped trigger Homan’s rapid deployment to Minnesota.
Homan’s presence signaled a course correction. Rather than doubling down on aggressive street operations, he announced a deal with Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey that will allow ICE to deport illegal immigrants directly from local jails. The agreement reduces the need for large-scale street arrests, which have proven dangerous, expensive, and politically explosive.
“Effective immediately, we will draw down 700 people,” Homan said. “Effective today, 700 law enforcement personnel.”
The numbers tell the story of just how dramatic the surge had become. Operation Metro Surge sent roughly 3,000 additional immigration officers into Minnesota, a state that previously had about 150. After the drawdown, Homan said, the total will sit closer to 2,000 — still far above historical levels, but a clear step back from the flashpoint tactics that fueled protests nationwide.
The announcement came just one day after Vice President JD Vance pushed back hard on claims that the administration was retreating from its mass deportation pledge. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Vance made it clear the strategy shift was about control, not surrender.
Tom Homan lays waste to rumors saying federal law enforcement is backing down in Minnesota:
“We are NOT surrendering the President’s mission on a mass deportation operation. If you’re in the country illegally, we WILL deport you!” pic.twitter.com/RVh1ChjMA3
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) February 4, 2026
Should federal agents remain in Minneapolis at current levels?
“We’re not moving back on anything,” Vance said. “We’re just trying to actually encourage cooperation so that we get a little bit less chaos.”
That chaos has been on full display. Operation Metro Surge has resulted in thousands of immigrant arrests, but it has also been marred by the deaths of two Americans — Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti — both shot during encounters with federal immigration officers. Their deaths ignited protests across Minnesota and beyond, with agitators setting up roadblocks and actively scouting for ICE agents to block access to targeted neighborhoods.
The Daily Mail’s embedded ride-alongs with ICE this week underscored the administration’s dilemma. Teams of nearly a dozen agents spent hours patrolling Minneapolis streets, carefully waiting for the right moment to make arrests. After two full days, reporters witnessed only two arrests — a stark illustration of how manpower-intensive and inefficient field operations can be compared to controlled jail transfers.
Homan leaned heavily on that reality in his remarks, emphasizing that jail-based cooperation dramatically reduces risk to officers and civilians alike. Taking custody of criminal noncitizens in jails, he said, often requires only one or two officers instead of eight or ten operating in volatile neighborhoods.
Since Homan’s arrival, he claimed, cooperation with local authorities has surged. Counties that previously resisted ICE are now communicating directly and allowing agents to assume custody before illegal immigrants are released back onto the streets.
“This frees up more officers to arrest or remove criminal aliens,” Homan said. “More officers taking custody directly from the jails means less officers on the street doing criminal operations.”
Behind the scenes, the political damage control continues. Trump personally called Governor Walz last week to ease tensions, even as local leaders accuse the administration of fueling unrest with heavy-handed tactics. The White House, meanwhile, maintains that Democrats have obstructed federal law enforcement at every turn.
For now, Homan’s move signals a recalibration — one that reins in visible enforcement without abandoning the administration’s broader deportation goals. But the message was unmistakable: the era of unchecked chaos is over, and the cleanup is underway.
