White House border official Tom Homan announced on Thursday that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency would end its controversial deployment in Minnesota after a wave of massive protests.
During the peak of the operation, roughly 3,000 ICE officers had been sent to the state. Homan first took command on January 26, following pressure on the Trump administration after two U.S. citizens were shot dead while protesting the agency’s activities. A few days later, on February 4, he declared that 700 federal officers would be withdrawn immediately from the region.
Despite the fatal incidents, Homan framed the mission as a success. “As a result of our work, Minnesota is no longer a refuge for criminals” he said. He added that a “small number of ICE staff” would remain on site for some time. Normally, about 150 ICE officers are stationed in Minnesota, but the exact number that will stay after the withdrawal was not clear.