A week after taking over the responsibility for operations on the ground in Minnesota, the U.S. border czar, Tom Homan, announced on Wednesday an "immediate" withdrawal of 700 federal agents from ICE and the Border Patrol. This amount, he explained, is around 20/25% of the total, so there will still be about 2,000 agents deployed, a ratio that is still four times higher than that of police officers in cities like Minneapolis.
He had anticipated it on Thursday, right upon arrival, linking the de-escalation to collaboration with state and local authorities, and confirmed it today, applauding "unprecedented cooperation" that "frees up resources". In his words, "more agents guarding foreign criminals directly from jails means fewer agents on the streets conducting criminal operations," he added, referring to one of the agreements reached after meetings with the State governor, the attorney general, and the mayors of the main towns. "The target list is decreasing. We have had a full team analyzing what is most sensible without putting agents at risk, and the number of agents we can withdraw amounts to 700," he explained.
Minneapolis or its twin city St. Paul are sanctuary cities, meaning they have legislation that does not allow their officials to cooperate with immigration authorities for the expulsion of undocumented individuals who have not committed any crimes. However, Homan managed to get approval to inform ICE about the fate of immigrants, with or without papers and residency, who have committed crimes and are in prison. So that federal agents can take custody and proceed with deportations. "This is a smart application of the law, not less law enforcement," said Homan.
Minneapolis Mayor, Democrat Jacob Frey, believes it is "a step in the right direction," but keeping 2,000 federal agents in the region means there is no real de-escalation. "My message to the White House has been consistent: the Operation Metro Surge has been catastrophic for our businesses and residents. It must end immediately," he lamented, urging the White House to go further.
In recent days, the Department of Homeland Security, overseeing immigration agencies, has acknowledged that agents will have to wear body cameras, as police forces do. Homan admitted there was "a gap in the use of body cameras," which he called "an unacceptable inconsistency." The cameras will now be mandatory, and it is expected to lead to a much more controlled way of acting: "the president supports this decision because we have nothing to hide," assured the top official.
However, the government still resists removing masks. It claims it is a security issue, following the attacks they face and the insults. Citizen protests reach the hotels where ICE sleeps, the restaurants they eat at, and leisure places if they are identified.
The rhetoric from the federal government has changed significantly, and there has been self-criticism not only from Homan, who admits that "the operation is far from perfect," but also from Republican congressmen or senators, openly stating that "going after grandmothers and not criminals is a mistake" that is costing them dearly in polls and public support.
Nevertheless, ICE and the Border Patrol continue to act on the streets in a similar manner. There are dozens of videos every day showing aggressive operations, threats to citizens or journalists recording the actions, operations involving minors. "We will not give up on the president's mission of a mass deportation operation (...) If you are in the country illegally, if we find you, we will deport you. This is an immigration control operation, and that's what we will do," emphasized the border czar.