Lead
White House border czar Tom Homan said on Sunday that more than 1,000 immigration agents have already left the Minneapolis–St. Paul area and that several hundred more will depart in the coming days as part of a planned drawdown of the enforcement surge. Homan said a “small” security force will remain for a short period to protect remaining personnel and to respond if agents are surrounded by agitators. He told CBS’ Face the Nation that investigators will continue pursuing fraud allegations and the probe into a protest that disrupted a church service. The announcement follows weeks of criticism and unrest after two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed during federal operations.
Key Takeaways
- More than 1,000 ICE agents have left the Twin Cities; Homan said several hundred more will depart by Monday or Tuesday, returning the operation toward its original footprint.
- Operation Metro Surge, deployed to Minneapolis and St. Paul, was described by the Department of Homeland Security as its largest immigration enforcement operation to date.
- The operation drew sustained local resistance: community networks warned residents, aided migrants and filmed enforcement actions, and protests became common.
- Two U.S. citizens—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—were killed amid the enforcement activity, prompting public outcry and operational changes.
- Homan said remaining agents will keep investigating fraud allegations and disruptions tied to anti-enforcement protests, including an incident at a church.
- Homan declined to define “small” when referring to the residual security detail, leaving the precise force size unspecified.
Background
The deployment to Minnesota, branded “Operation Metro Surge” by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, placed thousands of officers in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region to carry out arrests and deportations. The Department of Homeland Security characterized the operation as its largest-ever enforcement effort, saying it aimed to target criminals and immigration fraud amid wider national enforcement priorities. Local residents and immigrant-rights groups organized rapidly in response, forming networks to alert communities and document officers’ movements. Tensions escalated as enforcement actions and community responses collided, and protests became frequent indicators of sustained local opposition.
Federal officials have defended the mission as necessary for public safety and immigration law enforcement, while critics argue the scale and tactics provoked unnecessary confrontations and civil liberties concerns. The deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, intensified scrutiny of federal conduct and triggered internal and external calls for reviews. Before this latest drawdown announcement, Homan had said 700 federal officers would leave immediately but that more than 2,000 remained in the state; he later described a “significant drawdown” in progress. The operation’s mixed outcomes—numerical arrests alongside heightened volatility—shaped political and public responses at local and national levels.
Main Event
On Sunday, Homan told CBS’ Face the Nation that the initial phase of the withdrawal had removed over 1,000 agents from the Twin Cities area, with additional departures slated for the start of the week. He said the remaining personnel would include a limited security detachment to protect agents still conducting investigations and to respond to incidents where officers are overwhelmed by demonstrators. Homan emphasized that enforcement activity would continue nationwide, and that officers who leave Minnesota will either return to their home stations or be reassigned elsewhere.
The operational shift follows weeks of increasingly tense encounters between federal officers and local communities. Residents’ networks sprang up to warn neighbors of approaching agents, to help undocumented people evade enforcement sweeps, and to record interactions on video—heightening public visibility of ICE actions. Protests and community responses at times impeded operational access and increased the risk of clashes; Homan framed the limited security force as necessary to prevent agents from being surrounded or assaulted while on duty.
Officials said part of the residual mission will focus on investigating fraud allegations and a disruptive anti-enforcement protest that interrupted a church service. Homan noted that those criminal and civil cases remain a priority even as the bulk of tactical personnel exit the region. DHS and ICE have argued the surge yielded enforcement actions that met their stated objectives, while acknowledging that tactics and outcomes have drawn sustained public and legal scrutiny.
Analysis & Implications
The drawdown reflects an operational recalibration: moving from a large, concentrated surge to a smaller, mobile posture that officials describe as sustainable and less provocative. For federal authorities, reducing visible presence may lower immediate tensions and curtail confrontations that risk civilian harm or political fallout. But stepping back too far could also limit ICE’s ability to pursue targets identified during the surge and could shift enforcement burdens to local jurisdictions.
For Minnesota’s immigrant communities, the reduction in visible enforcement may provide short-term relief, but uncertainty will persist because Homan signaled that arrests and investigations will continue. Community organizations that mobilized in response to the surge have gained organizational experience and local credibility, which could make future federal actions more contested even with fewer agents present. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti will likely sustain calls for independent probes and policy reviews, and could influence litigation and oversight efforts.
Politically, the drawdown could temper criticism aimed at blunt federal interventions while allowing the administration to claim operational flexibility. The decision underscores a broader tension in immigration policy: balancing the enforcement of immigration laws with the need to manage public reaction, civil liberties, and operational risk. Internationally, concentrated enforcement campaigns that generate publicized civilian casualties can affect U.S. reputation on human rights and law enforcement norms.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Reported Count |
|---|---|
| Officers initially deployed to Twin Cities (approx.) | Thousands (DHS) |
| Officers remaining in state after earlier 700 pullout | More than 2,000 (reported) |
| Officers removed per Homan’s Sunday remarks | Over 1,000 |
| Additional officers to leave early in the week | Several hundred (Homan) |
| Civilian deaths tied to operations | 2 U.S. citizens (Renee Good, Alex Pretti) |
The table summarizes the publicly cited headline numbers. DHS described the operation as its largest-ever enforcement effort; local reporting and official statements place the short-term drawdown in the low thousands. Those counts are operationally significant because they affect visibility, community response, and the capacity to execute simultaneous investigations and arrests.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials framed the drawdown as a tactical adjustment; community leaders and civil liberties advocates emphasized accountability for the deaths and transparency about tactics.
“A ‘small’ security force will stay for a short period to protect remaining agents,”
Tom Homan, White House border czar (Face the Nation)
Homan used the term “small” without providing a numeric definition, a point that drew questions from local officials and advocates about how much presence would remain. He reiterated that investigations into alleged fraud and into a disruptive church protest would continue despite the reduction in personnel.
“It was our largest immigration enforcement operation ever,”
Department of Homeland Security (official statement)
DHS characterized the surge as a major, successful enforcement effort while acknowledging that public criticism and safety concerns had influenced subsequent operational decisions. Local advocates said the description of success must be weighed against community disruption and the unexplained fatalities.
“We already removed well over 1,000 people, and as of Monday, Tuesday, we’ll remove several hundred more,”
Tom Homan (Face the Nation)
Homan’s repeated references to staggered departures indicate the drawdown is phased. Observers note that such phasing preserves investigative continuity while reducing a highly visible tactical footprint.
Unconfirmed
- The precise headcount and composition of the “small” security force Homan referenced has not been publicly disclosed and remains unconfirmed.
- Full, independently verified details of the incidents that led to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, including body-camera footage and final investigative findings, have not been released in full.
- Whether future deployments at the scale of the Twin Cities surge will occur again depends on shifting operational priorities and is currently uncertain.
Bottom Line
The administration’s announcement marks a tactical shift from a high-visibility surge to a more limited security posture in Minnesota, but it does not signal an end to investigations or to national deportation efforts. Officials emphasize continued enforcement and fraud probes, even as they reduce the number of officers on the ground. For local communities, the drawdown may lower immediate tensions but leaves unresolved questions about oversight, accountability and the circumstances surrounding two civilian deaths.
Going forward, the situation will hinge on transparency from federal agencies, independent reviews of fatal incidents, and how community groups choose to organize in response. Policymakers and oversight bodies will face pressure to reconcile enforcement goals with procedural safeguards and to clarify when and how similar operations will be deployed in other jurisdictions.