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Updated 30 January 2026 - Federal officials hint at scaling back immigration enforcement in Minnesota following public outrage over two fatal shootings by agents.
Federal forces may withdraw if local cooperation improves
The White House indicated Thursday it could reduce the number of federal agents deployed in Minneapolis if state and city officials cooperate more closely with immigration enforcement efforts. Tom Homan, the administration's border security chief, stated during a press briefing that the operation would continue but with a more strategic approach.
"We are not abandoning our mission-we're executing it more intelligently," Homan said, without specifying a timeline or exact troop numbers for the potential drawdown.
Shootings spark nationwide protests and political fallout
The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens, at the hands of federal agents earlier this month have triggered demonstrations in Minneapolis and drawn condemnation from lawmakers across party lines. Protesters and elected officials have demanded accountability and a full withdrawal of federal forces from the city.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, have called for the immediate removal of all federal agents from the metropolitan area. The state has also filed a legal challenge to halt "Operation Metro Surge," which involves approximately 3,000 personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol, and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies.
Trump labels victim an "insurrectionist" after video surfaces
President Trump weighed in on the controversy Thursday, sharing a social media post that described Pretti, 37, as an "agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist." The president referenced recently released footage showing 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."
President Donald Trump
Steve Schleicher, an attorney representing the Pretti family, disputed Trump's characterization in an interview with CBS News. "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," Schleicher said. "Nothing that occurred a full week earlier could justify his killing."
Administration defends crackdown as local leaders demand change
Homan defended the administration's immigration policies, arguing that stricter enforcement has enhanced national security. He noted that ICE conducted over 480,000 deportations in Trump's first year back in office, surpassing the previous record of 410,000 set in 2012 under President Barack Obama. DHS currently detains more than 75,000 individuals, according to internal documents obtained by CBS News.
Local officials have accused federal agents of overreach, including warrantless searches and racial profiling. Frey estimated that 3,000 to 4,000 federal personnel are currently deployed in Minneapolis, outnumbering the city's 600 police officers. "People have been indiscriminately pulled off the street, yanked from their homes solely because they appear to be from Mexico, Ecuador, or Somalia," Frey said at a mayors' conference in Washington. "That's not how we operate in America."
Congress deadlocked over DHS funding as shutdown looms
The shootings have intensified partisan tensions in Washington, with Senate Democrats threatening to block a government funding bill if it includes additional resources for DHS. Seven Republican senators joined Democrats on Thursday to stall a procedural vote, prompting negotiations to remove DHS funding from the broader spending package.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused ICE of engaging in "state-sanctioned thuggery" and demanded restrictions on its tactics, including a ban on mask-wearing and warrantless arrests. A recently disclosed ICE memo authorized agents to conduct searches without judicial approval.
Trump indicated the White House is working with Democrats to avert a shutdown but did not provide details. "Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to fund the vast majority of the government until September, while providing an extension for DHS," he wrote on social media.
Uncertainty remains over operation's future
Despite Homan's pledge to make the Minneapolis operation more "targeted," he offered no specifics on what changes would be implemented. The administration has criticized Minneapolis's "sanctuary city" policies, which prohibit local employees from assisting federal immigration enforcement. Homan suggested that the scale of the drawdown would depend on the level of cooperation from state and local authorities.
Meanwhile, protests continue in Minneapolis, with demonstrators calling for justice for Good and Pretti and an end to what they describe as militarized immigration enforcement in U.S. cities.
