The “withdrawal” of some immigration agents from Minnesota is dependent upon state and local officials cooperating with federal law enforcement, according to Border czar Tom Homan.
If there is “commonsense cooperation” that will allow for the “drawdown of the number of people we have here. Yes, I said it, draw down the number of people here,” Homan told reporters in Minneapolis Thursday.
Specifically, the border czar is asking state and local officials to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers and allow agents to arrest criminal illegal aliens in the controlled environment of a prison or jail, rather than releasing them from custody before federal agents can apprehend them.
These controlled arrests require fewer federal agents, which in turn can lead to a reduction in force in the city, Homan explained.
“One agent can arrest one bad guy in the safety and security of a jail,” Homan said, “but when you … release that public safety threat, illegal alien, back in the community, we have a job to do.”
“We’re going to arrest him, so we’re going to find him, and what happens is now we got to arrest somebody on his turf who has access to who knows what weapons. Now we got to send the whole team out.”
Homan thanked the Minnesota state prison system for honoring ICE detainers.
Since arriving in Minneapolis on Monday, Homan has met with state and local leaders, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, who, according to Homan, says county jails are allowed to “notify ICE of the release dates of criminal public safety risks, so ICE can take custody of them upon the release from the jail.”
Since his arrival, Homan says there has been “great progress” with Ellison and local sheriffs.
The Trump administration boosted the presence of federal immigration agents in Minnesota to about 3,000 over the past month. The expanded operation to arrest criminal illegal aliens has faced significant backlash from state and local leaders, as well as anti-immigration protesters.
Homan, at President Donald Trump’s request, is taking over the immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis from Customs and Border Protection commander Greg Bovino, following two fatal shootings by immigration enforcement agents in recent weeks there. Homan is reporting directly to Trump, according to the president.
A Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, on Jan. 24, and an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, on Jan. 7.
“I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect. Nothing’s ever perfect. Anything can be improved on, and what we’ve been working on is making this operation safer, more efficient, by the book,” Homan said.
Homan says operations in Minneapolis going forward will be “targeted” and will “prioritize public safety threats and national security threats.” If immigration officials come into contact with illegal aliens, they will be apprehended, Homan said, but the targeted operation will focus on illegal aliens with a criminal history.
Homan met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday and says he will continue meeting with local leaders.
“President Trump wants this fixed,” Homan said, “and I’m going to fix it with your help.”