Border czar Tom Homan: Minnesota ICE surge to end

Sarah Nelson, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Feb 12, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration will phase out all federal immigration agents in Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan said Thursday, Feb. 12, bringing an end in sight to what’s been described as the largest immigration enforcement deployment in U.S. history.

Homan said a significant drawdown of federal agents in Minnesota has already happened this week and will continue into the next after Operation Metro Surge yielded “successful results” in the Twin Cities, including the arrests of 4,000 people. The move comes after the administration last week pledged to draw down 700 of the 3,000 agents originally deployed to the state.

“There’s some issues here; we fixed those issues, we’ve had some great success from this operation, and we’re leaving Minnesota safer,” Homan said. He specifically cited the cooperation between the administration and counties that “responded to our needs.”

The immigration operations have upended the state since the administration first deployed agents to Minnesota in December and sent more in January. The operations prompted protests and mounting criticism in the aftermath of the fatal shootings by federal agents of Renee Good, a mother and poet, and Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse. Also since the deployment, a car chase by federal officers led to the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant who was not the original target of the operation.

Homan said a small footprint of agents will remain in Minnesota as others transition out of the state, a process he will oversee. He touted the success of conversations with state and local officials, including more cooperation with sheriff’s offices for access to county jails. Homan said he hasn’t encountered a county jail that “has said no” to the administration, a frequent sticking point between the U.S. government and Minnesota leaders.

Earlier this week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signaled an end to the federal immigration surge could be imminent after talks with Homan and other top officials in the White House, predicting the operation would end in a matter of days. Walz made the comments during a news conference that highlighted the impact of the operation on the city’s economy, citing a 50% to 80% drop in sales among restaurants.

In response to Homan’s announcement, Walz said during a news conference that he has a “deep sense of gratitude and a deep sense of pride to my fellow Minnesotans.”

“Over the past six weeks, the state of Minnesota and the people of this great state have endured an unprecedented invasion,” Walz said. “We’ve been through natural disasters, we’ve been through COVID, but this is something I don’t think any state has ever experienced.”

The governor said unanswered questions remain even as federal agents depart the state, including whether there will be investigations into the killings of Good and Pretti by ICE officers.

“They left us with deep damage, generational trauma,” Walz said of the federal operation. “They left us with economic ruin, in some cases.”

The intensive immigration operation drew mounting criticism following the Jan. 24 shooting of Pretti. Within days, Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino had been removed from his role in the Minnesota operation. Homan was soon later sent to Minnesota to lead the initiative. While not addressing specifics during a news conference at Fort Snelling, Homan acknowledged the operation had faults.

“President Trump didn’t send me here because the operations were being run and conducted perfectly,” he said. “I came here to identify issues and implement solutions to improve our mission execution.”

Homan’s announcement about the drawdown drew a mix of reactions from Minneapolis leaders, some expressing skepticism and others focused on recovery post-surge.

Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne expressed doubt that the Trump administration would follow through with Homan’s announcement.

“This administration has lied about every aspect of this surge, so I don’t believe a word that comes out of Homan’s mouth. I’ll believe it when I see it and will continue patrolling my community,” he said in a statement to the Star Tribune.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a post on X said she has similar doubts.

“I’m relieved that this violent paramilitary force will be removed from our streets, but I won’t believe it until they’re actually gone,” she said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey struck a more optimistic tone in a statement to the Star Tribune saying, “They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation. These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance — standing with our neighbors is deeply American.“

However, Frey said Operation Metro Surge has been “catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now it’s time for a great comeback.”

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