Minneapolis mayor announces some federal immigration agents will depart after public outcry over shootings, following talks with President Trump.
MINNEAPOLIS: Some federal immigration agents will begin leaving the city on Tuesday, Mayor Jacob Frey announced.
Frey stated he spoke with President Donald Trump on Monday, adding that the president agreed “the present situation can’t continue.”
The mayor did not specify how many agents would be withdrawn but vowed to continue pushing for the rest involved in the operation to leave.
The announcement follows nationwide outrage over the killings of two American citizens by immigration officers in the city.
In a shift of tone, Trump said he had sent his top border enforcer, Tom Homan, to Minneapolis.
Trump described Homan as “tough but fair” and stated he would report directly to the president.
The White House was scrambling after video of the latest shooting went viral, prompting street protests and criticism from within Trump’s own Republican Party.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed sorrow over the death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse shot at point-blank range while protesting on Saturday.
Earlier, the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had portrayed Pretti’s killing as an act of self-defense.
They initially claimed, against evidence, that he approached agents brandishing a handgun.
At a demonstration on Monday, locals expressed relief at the news of agents leaving.
“It’s a vindication to some degree,” protester Kyle Wagner told AFP.
“Our neighborhoods and communities have been brutalized by them, so any decrease in the numbers and the severity is just a huge relief.”
US media reported that controversial Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino will be leaving Minneapolis.
The Department of Homeland Security has vehemently denied he has been “relieved of his duties.”
DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted on X that Bovino “is a key part of the President’s team and a great American.”
Despite the moves, there was no sign Trump was retreating from his broader, hardline immigration policy.
Leavitt said there remain “hundreds of thousands” of “the worst illegal aliens” left to deport.
Campaigning against illegal immigration helped Trump get elected in 2024.
However, daily videos of violent masked agents have sent his approval ratings plummeting.
Minneapolis has become ground zero in the turmoil, with huge rallies continuing despite freezing conditions.
A federal judge in Minneapolis heard arguments on Monday about whether the deployment of federal officers violates Minnesota’s sovereignty.
In a separate hearing, a judge considered a request to force federal officials to preserve evidence in Pretti’s killing.
Pressure is also mounting in Congress, where Democrats are threatening to hold up government funding.
Monday’s shift came as Republicans began to express public alarm over the situation.
