DHS to Withdraw 700 Immigration Agents from Minnesota

Border czar Tom Homan cites 'unprecedented cooperation' with local law enforcement for the reduction.

Feb. 5, 2026 at 1:15pm

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The Trump administration will immediately pull 700 federal immigration and law enforcement personnel out of Minnesota, reducing the federal footprint in the state by about 25%, according to White House border czar Tom Homan. Roughly 2,000 federal agents will remain, most of them based in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Why it matters

The deployment of over 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge sparked widespread protests and intensified scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal agents during separate incidents in January. The partial pullback comes amid mixed signals from the administration on easing tensions in the Twin Cities.

The details

Federal immigration agents have been operating in Minnesota since December as part of Operation Metro Surge. Homan said the drawdown reflects what he described as unprecedented cooperation between federal authorities and local and county law enforcement, particularly through jails that are now transferring custody of undocumented immigrants directly to Immigration and Customs Enforcement before release. Homan stressed that the reduction does not signal a retreat from immigration enforcement or the administration's broader deportation agenda.

  • The Trump administration will immediately pull 700 federal immigration and law enforcement personnel out of Minnesota.
  • Federal immigration agents have been operating in Minnesota since December as part of Operation Metro Surge.

The players

Tom Homan

White House border czar.

Renee Nicole Good

A U.S. citizen fatally shot by federal agents in January.

Alex Pretti

A U.S. citizen fatally shot by federal agents in January.

Kristi Noem

Homeland Security Secretary.

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What they’re saying

“More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails, means less officers on the street doing criminal operations. This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement.”

— Tom Homan, White House border czar (kvi.com)

“We're not surrendering the president's mission on a mass-deportation operation. If you're in the country illegally, if we find you, we'll deport you. But this is about a targeted enforcement operation, and that's what we're going to be doing.”

— Tom Homan, White House border czar (kvi.com)

“A complete drawdown is going to depend on continued cooperation of local and state law enforcement and the decrease of the violence, the rhetoric and the attacks against ICE and Border Patrol.”

— Tom Homan, White House border czar (kvi.com)

What’s next

The administration has sent mixed signals in recent weeks about easing tensions in the Twin Cities. President Donald Trump initially called Pretti's killing 'very unfortunate' and said he wanted to 'de-escalate' the situation, but later referred to Pretti as an 'agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist' after video surfaced of him confronting federal agents. As protests and viral videos of clashes have continued, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that all DHS agents operating in Minnesota will now wear body cameras, a move Homan confirmed is being funded.

The takeaway

The partial pullback of federal immigration agents from Minnesota comes amid ongoing tensions and protests in the Twin Cities over the administration's aggressive deportation agenda. While the reduction reflects 'unprecedented cooperation' with local law enforcement, the administration has sent mixed signals on de-escalating the situation, raising questions about the long-term approach to immigration enforcement in the state.