Homan Touts Progress in Minnesota; Won't Back Down on Immigration

(The Center Square) – “Progress” is being made in Minnesota, Border Czar Tom Homan said during a news conference Thursday after being on the ground since Monday evening.

Homan told reporters that the current mission is to prioritize criminal aliens, while not straying away from the overall mission of reducing illegal immigration.

“We are not surrendering the president’s mission on immigration enforcement. Let’s make that clear,” the border czar told reporters Thursday morning.

Homan announced a possible breakthrough with Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison, that county jails may notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of criminal aliens, while acknowledging that the Department of Corrections has been honoring ICE detainers.

The border czar sent a strong message to protesters and dissenters of the Trump administration’s immigration policies that “ICE is enforcing the law enacted by Congress.” Telling demonstrators to protest Congress, not the officers themselves, by trying to obstruct.

Homan wouldn’t comment on the investigation into Saturday’s shooting death of Alex Pretti, while acknowledging that “certain improvements could and should be made.”

He reiterated the challenges immigration officials face, making their jobs more complicated by the fact that local and state authorities have been unwilling to cooperate with federal officials in controlled environments such as jails.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 21: A teenage girl is arrested on Blaisdell Avenue after colliding with a Border Patrol vehicle on January 21, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A teenage boy and girl, and multiple observers, were arrested by Border Patrol after the incident. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000 federal plus federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Homan said that the drawdown of federal agents depends on cooperation from local and state authorities in turning over criminal aliens, explaining that failing to do so requires more agents to support operations that provide safety to officers.

“One agent can arrest one bad guy in the safety and security of a jail where he’s behind wire. We know we don’t have weapons, but when you normally release that public safety threat, illegal alien back in the community, we have a job to do,” Homan said. “We’re going to arrest him. So we’re going to find them, and what happens is now we got to arrest somebody on his turf, who has access to who knows what weapons, now we got to send the whole team out, cover the back door, cover the front door.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 29: Federal agents detain a person at Portland Ave and 19th St. on January 29, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Protests continue calling for an end to immigration raids in the Twin cities which have already resulted in the deaths of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a VA medical center who died January 24, after being shot multiple times during a brief altercation with border patrol agents, and Renee Good a 37-year-old mother of three children who was killed by ICE agents on January 7. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

He added that “hateful rhetoric” is adding to officers being in danger, resulting in the surge of law enforcement officials.

Homan was asked about agitators using violence and harassing immigration officers, with him responding that “justice is coming.”

Homan’s press conference comes on the same day that Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey is traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with the nation’s mayors.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey walks to a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at the U.S. Capitol on January 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Frey is meeting with lawmakers as the Senate negotiates a government appropriations bill that includes legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

In a press release from Frey’s office, the mayor reiterated his goal to end Operation Metro Surge.

“Mayor Frey will continue advocating for Minneapolis and working with local, state, and federal leaders to help bring this operation to an end,” the press release read.

Timeline: How ICE’s Arrival Sparked Protests, Lawsuits, and Deadly Encounters in Minnesota

Since federal immigration agents arrived in Minnesota as part of “Operation Metro Surge,” the state has seen a rapid series of high-profile events, including fatal shootings, mass protests, court battles, and growing tension between federal authorities and local leaders. This timeline breaks down the key moments that shaped the escalating standoff and reshaped daily life across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and communities statewide.

Gallery Credit: Minnesota Now

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