President Donald Trump has agreed to end sweeping federal immigration operations in Minnesota, White House border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, marking a significant retreat from a mission that sparked national controversy after two U.S. citizens were killed.
“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation concludes,” Homan said at a press conference, adding that a “significant drawdown” is already underway and will continue into next week. Last month Homan said he would draw down enforcement in Minnesota if state and local leaders agreed to cooperate with ICE and turn over criminals with deportation orders.
A limited federal presence will remain temporarily to transition command back to local field offices.
The operation was faced with major protests after Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fatally shot two disruptive protesters, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, incidents captured on video and widely circulated.
The decision comes as Trump’s approval ratings on immigration have fallen. An Associated Press–NORC poll released Thursday found 62 percent of respondents said deploying federal agents into cities had “gone too far.”
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