Trump Sends Border Czar to Minnesota After Minneapolis ICE Shootings — Outrage Grows

Amid the Trump administration's immigration raids and a fatal shooting in Minneapolis Saturday morning, the US President said on Monday that a top official, his border security point man, Tom Homan, is being sent to Minnesota, in an attempt to seize control of the situation. Trump said, 'Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.'

Karoline Leavitt announced that Tom Homan 'will be managing ICE operations on the ground in Minnesota to continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,' according to a report by France 24. Minneapolis is now ground zero amid Trump's immigration crackdown.

On Saturday, 37-year-old Intensive Care nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent during an altercation in Minneapolis, fueling outrage against Trump's militarised immigration raids.

Federal officials claimed Pretti 'approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun,' per ABC News. In the wake of this incident, Trump has accused Tim Walz, Minnesota's Democratic Governor, and Jacob Frey, Minneapolis Mayor, of 'inciting Insurrection.'

Trump's Immigration Crackdown

The Department of Homeland Security's ICE has recently become the most heavily funded law enforcement body in the United States, and has been under fire for its brutal operations. On Friday, a Minneapolis rally transpired in light of the shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good on 7 January. Other major cities like New York have also witnessed rallies following Pretti's death.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who contended that Pretti had sought to 'massacre' federal officers, was withdrawn along with some agents. Trump has also committed to investigating Pretti's case, according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, as shared by BBC News.

Further to the report by BBC News, the Trump administration deployed 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Customs and Border Patrol officers and agents to the Operation Metro Surge.

Tim Walz told the US President to 'show some decency,' urging him to remove his ICE agents from Minnesota. Former US President Barack Obama said about the killings, 'This has to stop. I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals,' per an ABC News Australia exclusive.

Operation Metro Surge

A US federal judge heard legal arguments on Monday, 26 January, in support and in opposition to a temporary restraining order against the crackdown in Minnesota, which involves over 3,000 federal agents enforcing immigration laws.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi's letter to Governor Tim Walz about ending operations in Minnesota if the state surrenders driver's license records, voter information and other data sparked a debate during the hearing. In the letter, Bondi says, 'You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota. Fortunately, there are common sense solutions to these problems that I hope we can accomplish together.'

US President Trump and Walz have also confirmed on Monday that a 'productive' conversation about ending Operation Metro Surge transpired between them. The conversation also warrants investigations into the fatal shootings of two Minnesota residents. Trump shared on Truth Social, 'It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,' in a report shared by KAXE.