Homan arrives in Minnesota, but immigration crackdown continues

Nick Halter

Tom Homan stands behind a microphone wearing a dark suit, white shirt and purple tie. — Tom Homan is the new face of immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The White House's new point person on the immigration crackdown in Minnesota met with Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey yesterday, as widespread raids and arrests continued in the state.

Why it matters: While the meetings with border czar Tom Homan appear to be another step toward de-escalation, a quick and large-scale pullback of agents doesn't appear to be imminent.

What they're saying: Frey, who met with Homan alongside Police Chief Brian O'Hara, described the conversation as productive.

Friction point: Frey said he made it clear that the city police will not enforce federal immigration laws despite President Trump's demand that local police help ICE.

Walz said after his meeting that he wants impartial investigations into the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Both Walz and Frey said they told Homan they want a quick end to the surge.

Homan said on X that all parties "agree that we need to support our law enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets."

"While we don't agree on everything, these meetings were a productive starting point and I look forward to more conversations with key stakeholders in the days ahead," he said.

Reality check: Federal agents are still active in Minneapolis.

A crowd-sourced database of suspected ICE activity logged over 300 sightings across the metro area Tuesday, including reports of people being detained.
In one incident, an ICE agent attempted to forcibly enter Ecuador's consulate in Minneapolis, according to the country's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
District officials and observers also reported agents near schools in Apple Valley and Lakeville.

Between the lines: While Homan may adopt a more targeted immigration enforcement, according to Axios sources, his presence is not likely to quell growing concerns that federal agents are being ordered to collect information about protesters, according to CNN.

Homan told Fox News last month that he was pushing for such a database.
"We're going to create a database where those people that are arrested for interference, impeding and assault, we're going to make them famous," he said. "We're going to put their face on TV. We're going to let their employers, in their neighborhoods, in their schools, know who these people are."

In other immigration news:

💻 The statement issued by DHS in the hours after Pretti's killing that Pretti "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement" was dictated to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, four sources told Axios' Marc Caputo.

As more video from bystanders and observers contradicted the official narrative over the weekend, Trump made changes in the Minnesota operation, dispatching Homan to the state.

⚖️ Anger at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem coursed throughout the Senate, as more senators from both parties said she should be out of a job.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned Trump that if he doesn't fire Noem, Democrats "will commence impeachment proceedings."
Trump said Tuesday that Noem is doing a good job and he's not going to oust her.

📝 Since the start of the surge in late November, attorneys have filed nearly 500 habeas corpus petitions alleging that immigrants have been detained without a bail hearing or due process, KARE 11 reported.

A federal judge in Minnesota Monday ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to show up in court on Friday because his agency ignored a court order to give a petitioner a bond hearing.

Editor's note: This story was updated with a comment from White House border czar Tom Homan.

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