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The Trump administration is shifting its approach to cracking down on illegal immigration in Minneapolis after federal agents’ actions drew scrutiny and sparked protests, sources tell Fox News.
Minneapolis has become a flash point for clashes between federal immigration enforcement agents and agitators, particularly following the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Local leaders slammed the Trump administration’s actions in Minneapolis, with Mayor Jacob Frey calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to “get the f— out” of his city after Good was fatally shot.
Amid the unrest, President Donald Trump moved to change his administration’s approach and sent border czar Tom Homan to manage the situation.
A White House official appeared to dismiss rumors of tension between Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Homan, saying that the two were working together to carry out the president’s agenda.
HOMAN ANNOUNCES DRAWDOWN OF FEDERAL PRESENCE IN MINNESOTA, HAILS ‘UNPRECEDENTED COOPERATION’ FROM LOCAL POLICE
White House border czar Tom Homan attends a press conference in Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 29, 2026. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
“Thanks to Tom Homan’s tireless work, an unprecedented number of counties in Minnesota have agreed to coordinate with ICE to transfer custody of criminal aliens upon their release. This is one of the conditions President Trump set for a draw down. These commitments have been made by local officials, and will continue to be monitored for compliance,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital.
Not all of Homan’s changes have been kept behind closed doors. The border czar announced the immediate drawdown of 700 personnel from Minnesota, effective Wednesday, though 2,000 officers will remain. He cited improved cooperation with jails and said that a complete drawdown was the goal, but it was “contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE.”
A federal agent prepares to depart the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on Feb. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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Homan has reportedly changed how Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) operates and interacts with suspected illegal immigrants. The border czar has reportedly increased the threshold for making arrests and shifted entirely to targeted operations as opposed to rover patrols, which were seen under Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, according to sources.
Under Homan’s leadership, CBP agents have been instructed to not approach anyone they suspect to be in the country illegally unless they are a target, according to sources. CBP agents will instead be partnered with ICE officers to make targeted arrests, sources said. Additionally, sources told Fox News that Homan gave agents a warning that there would be consequences for stepping out of line.
A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that while officers on the ground in Minnesota will be making targeted arrests, they will also “enforce federal immigration law” if, during an operation, they “come across additional illegal aliens.”
A person is detained by federal agents on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Ryan Murphy/AP)
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Fox News has been told that there are thousands of targets in Minnesota and that targets are being identified through public records, which are run through a DHS database that provides criminal history, immigration history, invalid immigration documents and information on whether they have failed to appear for any immigration court hearings.
Sources say that fingerprints have been used to identify targets, as anyone who entered the country illegally under the Biden administration and encountered CBP was fingerprinted. If an illegal immigrant is arrested by a local police department, DHS gets an alert on where they were fingerprinted and what the arrest was for.
DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
