President Trump signals a potential policy shift as 700 federal officers are withdrawn from Minneapolis, but his administration vows mass deportations will continue.
MINNEAPOLIS: President Donald Trump has suggested a “softer touch” may be needed on immigration enforcement. His comments follow the fatal shooting of two protesters by federal officers in the city last month.
The administration announced the withdrawal of 700 federal officers from Minnesota. Border chief Tom Homan stated the contentious deployment would continue with about 2,000 agents remaining.
“I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch,” Trump said in an NBC interview. “But you still have to be tough.”
Homan vowed that the removal of undocumented migrants would not stop. He made the statement during an interview on Fox News later the same day.
“Mass deportations are here, they’re coming, we’re already breaking records, and we’re not going to stop,” Homan said. He stressed he would stay in Minneapolis “until we get it all done.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the pullback as “a step in the right direction.” Both Democrats called for a faster end to the federal immigration operation.
Homan cited increased cooperation with local authorities for the reduction. He said officers are now taking more custody of migrants directly from jails rather than on the streets.
The high-profile crackdown, dubbed Metro Surge, began with only 150 federal officers in the state. The operation became a major flashpoint in Trump’s immigration policy.
Federal agents shot and killed two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, last month. Both victims were 37 years old.
Trump expressed unhappiness about the deaths in his interview. “It should have not happened,” he said. “To me it was a very sad incident.”
The president also reiterated his support for immigration officers. “I’m going to always be with our great people of law enforcement,” Trump said.
The killings drew international condemnation and tens of thousands of demonstrators. Public concern intensified over the government’s initial false accounts of the events.
Following the outcry, Trump replaced the local commander with the more policy-focused Homan. The new overseer then pledged to draw down the operation under certain conditions.
