On Thursday, Border Czar Tom Homan held a press conference to update the nation on recent events in Minneapolis. Homan made it perfectly clear: “We are not surrendering the president’s mission on immigration enforcement.”
Following the second shooting death of an anti-ICE protester by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis, tensions in the city escalated significantly. This unrest began two weeks prior when Renee Nicole Good attempted to ram an ICE agent with her car and was shot in what was deemed self-defense. The latest incident occurred on Saturday when ICU nurse Alex Pretti intervened during a targeted operation by Border Patrol. Armed at the time, Pretti was shot by two Border Patrol agents who claimed they acted in self-defense.
In the aftermath, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Chief at Large Greg Bovino faced criticism for their comments regarding the shooting of Pretti. The backlash prompted a reevaluation of the oversight and direction of “Operation Metro Surge.” In response, President Trump ordered Homan to take charge of operations in Minneapolis.
And on Tuesday and Wednesday, Homan met with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and the Mayor of St. Paul to discuss the future of their operations.
At the press conference, Homan primarily referred to his prepared talking points to cover the main topics, but he frequently deviated from the script to share his own knowledge, experiences, and insights. He made it clear that his role in Minnesota was to foster “common sense cooperation” between elected leaders and local law enforcement, which he noted helps in achieving a reduction in tensions which “allows us to draw down. I said draw down.”
I’ve been on the ground less than three full days, I got over here on Monday. President of the United States asked me to come. I’m staying until the problem’s gone. But we’ve made a lot of progress. A lot of progress in the last three days.
Homan began by introducing Marcos Charles, the Director of ICE Operations in Minneapolis, along with ICE Commissioner Rodney Scott. He then proceeded with his prepared remarks, highlighting the crisis stemming from the Biden administration’s open border policies. Homan contrasted this with President Trump’s promise to secure the border and his unwavering commitment to remove the criminal elements that the Biden administration has allowed to infiltrate America’s interior:
“@POTUS promised the American people, including the residents of Minnesota, that he would work to ensure our communities are safe…this administration is absolutely focused on identifying and removing aliens that pose a public safety threat and national security threats—and the numbers prove it.”
Homan discussed the collaboration between Minneapolis and Minnesota’s elected officials, emphasizing how this partnership will develop in the future. He also highlighted his discussions with community members and faith leaders.
Bottom line: You can’t fix problems if you don’t have discussions. I didn’t come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. I came here to seek solutions, and that’s what we’re going to do. And we’ve come a long ways and we’ve got some good winds for the people of Minnesota I think, and for the administration, and for the safety and security of this city.
Where they did agree: “Community safety is paramount. One thing we all agreed on: was that U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement is a legitimate law agency that has a duty to enforce the laws enacted by Congress and to keep this community safe.
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Homan spoke about his “very productive meeting” with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, noting that Ellison “clarified” for him that county jails have the ability to notify ICE about individuals who are undocumented and incarcerated. Homan highlighted that this approach is the safest way to carry out the removal process and would help reduce the amount of federal resources allocated to the state.
Homan added:
We’re not making this up folks: ICE is enforcing the laws enacted by Congress through a federal statute. That said, I am not here because the federal government has carried it’s mission out perfectly[….] Nothing’s ever perfect, anything can be improved upon.
The mission is going to improve because of the changes we are making.
I, along with others in the Administration have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made. That is exactly what I’m doing here.
Homan called on local officials “to stand shoulder to shoulder with us, to tone down the dangerous rhetoric, and condemn all unlawful action against law enforcement in the community.”
Homan thanked the officials, law enforcement, and community members whom he has met with, “and the many I’m going to meet with. We’ve had meaningful dialogue[…] President Trump wants this fixed, and I’m going to fix it, with your help.”
The border czar also touched on the fact that a lot of critics don’t want the Trump administration to work with Democratic officials in Minneapolis whatsoever, noting that’s not a practical idea nor is it a viable long-term solution.
It sounds like Homan’s made some great progress – both for Minnesota and for Trump’s vision of enforcing all immigration laws. We’ll keep an eye on this for you and report any transgressions on the part of Walz & Co.
