Trump’s border czar says a smaller force of ICE agents will remain in Minnesota amid the withdrawal

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1,000 immigration agents have left the Twin Cities area of ​​Minnesota and hundreds more will leave in the coming days as part of the Trump administration’s withdrawal from increased immigration enforcement, White House border official Tom Homan said Sunday.

Homan told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that a “small” security force will remain for a short period to protect the remaining immigration agents and will respond “when our agents get out and get surrounded by rioters and things get out of hand.” He did not specify the word “small.”

He also said agents would continue to investigate allegations of fraud as well as an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a church service.

“We’ve already removed over 1,000 people, and as of Monday and Tuesday, we’ll be removing several hundred more,” Homan said. “We will go back to the original footprint.”

Thousands of officers were sent to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area to participate in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Operation Metro Surge.” The Department of Homeland Security said this was the largest immigration enforcement operation ever and proved successful. But the crackdown has come under increasing criticism as the situation worsens and American citizens are killed.

Protests became common. A network of residents worked to assist migrants, warn of approaching agents, or film the actions of immigration officers. The shooting deaths of Renee Judd and Alex Peretti by federal officers drew condemnation and raised questions about officers’ conduct, leading to changes in the process.

Homan announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota immediately, but that still leaves more than 2,000 in the state. He said on Thursday that a “major drawdown” was already underway and would continue through this week.

Homan said law enforcement will not stop in the Twin Cities and that mass deportations will continue across the country. Officers who leave Minnesota will return to their stations or will be assigned elsewhere.

When asked if future deployments could match the size of the Twin Cities operation, Homan said “it depends on the situation.”