Trump to withdraw ICE from Minnesota ending state immigration crackdown
Tom Homan, who's leading the White House's anti-immigration campaign, said the US leader had approved his request to conclude Operation Metro Surge
Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota will draw to a close, the president's border czar has said.
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Tom Homan, who's leading the White House's anti-immigration campaign, said the US leader had approved his request to conclude Operation Metro Surge.
Trump's deportation drive saw 3,000 armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents dispatched to the state, with the majority located in its biggest city, Minneapolis.
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The operation sparked nationwide protests after two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by immigration officers.
Despite the backlash, Homan praised the operation for detaining and deporting many illegal immigrants who had committed violent crimes.
"As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals," Homan told a press conference.
He claimed that more than 4,000 undocumented immigrants, whom he referred to as "illegal aliens", had been arrested - including men he said were convicted of rape and other sexual misconduct.
The Trump aide added that he would stay in Minnesota "a little longer to oversee the drawdown, to ensure its success".
Trump had decided to reduce ICE's presence after an "unprecedented level" of cooperation between federal agents and local law enforcement, Homan said.
Homan had been dispatched to Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, replacing the operation's leader Greg Bovino.
Bovino had faced intense criticism for ICE's use of force in Minneapolis, with activists taking to streets to protest against the immigration crackdown, while local officials and immigrants also fought against it in the courts.
After Homan's news conference, top officials appeared on Capitol Hill to testify about Trump's immigration procedures.
Homan announced he was removing 700 immigration agents from Minnesota last week.
This will leave around 2,000 federal officers in the state, with further withdrawals expected as Homan looking to cut ICE's presence to where it was before the operation started in December.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had also repeatedly called for ICE to leave.
Homan said he had met with the two officials over the last few weeks and asked them to "tone down the rhetoric".
He added that Minnesota had become "less of a sanctuary state" - a title given to cities and states who have passed laws to limit the support they give to enforcement of federal immigration authorities.