The Trump administration has suggested it is planning to draw down federal forces in Minnesota if there is co-operation from officials, after the fatal shootings of two US citizens in the state. At a news conference in Minneapolis on Thursday, White House border tsar Tom Homan vowed to continue the immigration enforcement operation, but added he wants common sense co-operation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here. We are not surrendering our mission at all. We're just doing it smarter, Homan said. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have ignited local protests and public outcry across the country, and led to criticism from lawmakers.
It was unclear how many federal forces might leave the city or when, raising new questions about how far the Trump administration will scale back its operation after the US president said he was seeking to de-escalate in Minneapolis. Homan added: President Trump wants this fixed, and I'm going to fix it.
Hours later, in a social media post, Trump labelled Pretti an agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist. Trump said the 37-year-old's stock has gone way down following the release of footage that shows an altercation between Pretti and federal officers 11 days before his death. It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, said Trump.
In response, Steve Schleicher, a lawyer for the Pretti family, stated: A week before Alex was gunned down in the street, despite posing no threat to anyone, he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents.
The killings of Good and Pretti by agents carrying out Trump's immigration crackdown this month have provoked protests in Minneapolis, public outcry across the US and calls from lawmakers in both parties for some administration officials to be removed. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have called for a withdrawal of federal agents entirely from the state's capital region. The state has also asked a federal judge to stop Operation Metro Surge, which involves approximately 3,000 immigration, border patrol and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers.
The administration, meanwhile, has blasted local officials, saying they should work with federal officers and agents and also criticized Minneapolis for having a sanctuary city policy that bars city employees from enforcing immigration laws. Homan indicated that changes in the operation would depend on how much state and local officials cooperate with federal authorities, but did not specify which demands were in disagreement.
In the hours after Pretti was killed, Walz spoke to the White House twice, and since then, both he and Frey have had phone calls with Trump. However, Homan provided little clarity on what specific changes might be made to the federal presence in Minneapolis, stating the approach would be more targeted. While pledging to fix the crackdown in Minneapolis, Homan defended the immigration enforcement measures, arguing they have contributed to making the country safer.
The incident has escalated tensions in Congress, prompting several House and Senate Republicans to call for investigations into the Good and Pretti shootings. Senate Democrats have threatened a partial government shutdown if a spending package includes new funding for DHS, reflecting mounting pressure on the administration from both sides of the aisle. Amid ongoing negotiations, Trump noted during a cabinet meeting that the administration is working with Democrats to avoid a shutdown.
It was unclear how many federal forces might leave the city or when, raising new questions about how far the Trump administration will scale back its operation after the US president said he was seeking to de-escalate in Minneapolis. Homan added: President Trump wants this fixed, and I'm going to fix it.
Hours later, in a social media post, Trump labelled Pretti an agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist. Trump said the 37-year-old's stock has gone way down following the release of footage that shows an altercation between Pretti and federal officers 11 days before his death. It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, said Trump.
In response, Steve Schleicher, a lawyer for the Pretti family, stated: A week before Alex was gunned down in the street, despite posing no threat to anyone, he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents.
The killings of Good and Pretti by agents carrying out Trump's immigration crackdown this month have provoked protests in Minneapolis, public outcry across the US and calls from lawmakers in both parties for some administration officials to be removed. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have called for a withdrawal of federal agents entirely from the state's capital region. The state has also asked a federal judge to stop Operation Metro Surge, which involves approximately 3,000 immigration, border patrol and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers.
The administration, meanwhile, has blasted local officials, saying they should work with federal officers and agents and also criticized Minneapolis for having a sanctuary city policy that bars city employees from enforcing immigration laws. Homan indicated that changes in the operation would depend on how much state and local officials cooperate with federal authorities, but did not specify which demands were in disagreement.
In the hours after Pretti was killed, Walz spoke to the White House twice, and since then, both he and Frey have had phone calls with Trump. However, Homan provided little clarity on what specific changes might be made to the federal presence in Minneapolis, stating the approach would be more targeted. While pledging to fix the crackdown in Minneapolis, Homan defended the immigration enforcement measures, arguing they have contributed to making the country safer.
The incident has escalated tensions in Congress, prompting several House and Senate Republicans to call for investigations into the Good and Pretti shootings. Senate Democrats have threatened a partial government shutdown if a spending package includes new funding for DHS, reflecting mounting pressure on the administration from both sides of the aisle. Amid ongoing negotiations, Trump noted during a cabinet meeting that the administration is working with Democrats to avoid a shutdown.
