After months of an unprecedented immigration surge in Minneapolis, the Trump administration is pulling 700 federal immigration officers—while warning that a full drawdown depends on an end to threats and illegal activity targeting agents.
Story Snapshot
- White House border czar Tom Homan announced an immediate withdrawal of about 700 federal immigration personnel from Minnesota on Feb. 4, 2026.
- The move de-escalates “Operation Metro Surge,” which ramped Minnesota’s federal presence from roughly 150 agents to a multi-thousand deployment.
- About 2,000 ICE and Border Patrol personnel are expected to remain in the state after the drawdown.
- The operation drew national attention after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal immigration officers on Jan. 24, sparking protests and calls for investigations.
Homan’s drawdown: immediate reduction, not a full exit
Tom Homan said the Trump administration will withdraw roughly 700 federal immigration officers from Minnesota immediately, describing it as a step toward de-escalating “Operation Metro Surge.”
The drawdown represents about a quarter of the federal deployment tied to the operation and leaves an estimated 2,000 personnel in place. Homan framed the move around improved coordination and cooperation with local law enforcement, while making clear the broader mission is not ending.
Homan also tied the possibility of a complete drawdown to conditions on the ground, emphasizing that further reductions depend on an end to illegal activity and threatening actions directed at federal officers.
That conditional language matters because it signals the federal government is keeping leverage over local dynamics, even as it reduces numbers. For supporters of immigration enforcement, the message is straightforward: the operation can scale down without surrendering control.
How Minnesota became a national flashpoint for enforcement tactics
Reporting on the surge describes a dramatic expansion of federal activity in Minnesota compared with the pre-surge baseline. Officials cited roughly 150 federal agents in the state before the operation, followed by a months-long escalation that brought in thousands of ICE and Customs and Border Protection personnel.
Local leaders complained about the visibility and breadth of enforcement activity, including reports of agents operating at bus stops and in apartment buildings, and raised questions about whether tactics were narrowly targeted.
Tensions spiked after Jan. 24, when federal immigration officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, a development that triggered protests and intensified scrutiny of federal actions.
The shootings became a defining political and public-safety issue for Minneapolis, with demonstrations near federal facilities and heightened demands from Democratic state and city officials for outside review. The available reporting does not resolve the underlying facts of the shootings, but it documents their central role in accelerating de-escalation talks.
JUST IN: White House border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday that effective immediately the federal government is withdrawing 700 federal law enforcement personnel from Minnesota. https://t.co/s3ucA6C97y
— The Minnesota Star Tribune (@StarTribune) February 4, 2026
Local officials say “2,000 still here” isn’t de-escalation
Gov. Tim Walz called the withdrawal a step in the right direction but pressed for faster and broader de-escalation, including state investigations into the fatal shootings and an end to what he described as “retribution.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey argued that leaving around 2,000 federal immigration officers in Minnesota does not amount to meaningful de-escalation and said the operation has been damaging for residents and businesses. Those objections reflect a continuing political standoff, not a settlement.
County and corrections officials added operational critiques that go beyond politics. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt described significant strain on local agencies, including more than $500,000 in overtime costs, and said the federal operation affected how local law enforcement is perceived.
Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell questioned the drawdown timeline and said federal briefings left “sketchy” details, while warning against “roving” enforcement approaches rather than focused, targeted operations.
The real test: constitutional guardrails, public safety, and accountability
Operation Metro Surge highlights a balancing test Americans have argued about for decades: enforcing immigration law while maintaining constitutional guardrails and public trust.
The reporting includes complaints about broad, highly visible tactics and about unclear targeting, which is exactly where questions tend to arise about due process and proper limits on government power. Conservatives typically want strong borders, but they also expect professional, accountable law enforcement that can explain what it is doing and why.
For now, the Minnesota drawdown is best understood as a partial de-escalation paired with a clear warning: Washington will reduce the footprint when threats drop and cooperation rises, but it will not abandon the mission.
With thousands of federal personnel still expected to remain, local leaders are likely to keep pressing for more transparency and a faster exit, while the Trump administration continues using surge-style deployments as a pressure point in jurisdictions that resist civil immigration enforcement.
Sources:
Trump administration will pull 700 immigration officers from Minneapolis.
Trump’s Border Czar Says 700 Immigration Officers Leave Minnesota Immediately in Operation
