Border Czar Says ICE Surge in Minnesota Is Ending: ‘No

Border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota is wrapping upand a reduction in federal immigration agents is expected to occur over the next week.

“I have proposed, and President Trump has agreed, that this surge operation be concluded,” Homan said at a news conference held at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis.

Homan says the decision was made after looking at two main factors: the multitude of arrests for “threats to public safety” the operation has produced, and a sharp drop in the need for federal officials to call in rapid response force teams because of “agitators.”

“That’s a good thing. It’s a win for everyone, not just law enforcement safety,” Homan said. “It’s a win for this community.”

He said “significant drawdown” is already taking place in the state, adding: “I don’t want to see more bloodshed.”

“We have a lot of work to do across this country to eliminate public safety risk that shouldn’t even be in this country. And to fulfill President Trump’s promise of strong border security and mass deportations, law enforcement officers removed from this surge operation will return to the duty station or be assigned elsewhere to do just that.”

Governor Tim Walz, who is spoke about budget proposals for businesses affected by the surge Thursday morning, he said: “The long road to recovery begins now. The impact on our economy, our schools and people’s lives will not be reversed overnight. That work begins today.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also issued a statement following Homan’s announcement.

“They thought they could break us, but love for our neighbors and the determination to resist can last longer than an occupation. These Minneapolis patriots are showing that it’s not just about resistance: supporting our neighbors is deeply American,” he said. “This operation has been catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now is the time for a great return. We will show the same commitment to our immigrant residents and the same resilience in this reopening, and I hope the entire country will support us as we move forward together.”

The announcement comes the same morning that several top Minnesota officials are testifying at a U.S. Senate hearing on immigration enforcement, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell, and U.S. House Majority Leader Tom Emmer.

In his opening statement at that hearing, Ellison said Operation Metro Surge has caused “real harm” to Minnesota.

“This war on Minnesota is, without a doubt, retaliation: our policies, our values ​​and how we vote,” Ellison said. “And this comes at a great cost.

Emmer responded, calling the clashes seen in Minnesota “a direct result of the state’s radical sanctuary city policies in Minnesota,” adding that he believes those policies “turned Minnesota into a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens.”

Homan arrived in Minnesota in late January, less than a week after federal officials announced the Border Patrol commander. Gregory Bovino and some of his agents would be leaving the area.

On February 4, Homan said federal authorities were going to immediately “reduce” 700 law enforcement officers in Minnesota and that about 2,000 agents would remain in the state. The number was around 150 before the increase.

“My goal, with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete reduction and end this surge as soon as we can, but that largely depends on the end of the illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we are seeing in the community,” Homan said earlier this month.

Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that Operation Metro Surge was expected to last “days, not weeks and months.”

White House officials said earlier this month that there have been at least 4,000 arrests in Minnesota related to federal operation.