Trump's border-czar takeover does little to calm Minneapolis tensions: The agenda is still the same'

"In his clearest attempt yet to deescalate tensions in Minneapolis, Tom Homan, Donald Trump's border czar, announced on Wednesday that the administration will draw down 700 federal immigration officers as the statewide crackdown continues. The Twin Cities remain on edge, waiting to see whether the fear will ease. When Homan arrived in Minneapolis more than a week ago, his task was to bridge the widening gulf between local officials and federal law enforcement."

"Trump dispatched Homan, whom he called tough but fair, abruptly, to replace senior border patrol official Gregory Bovino, as the immigration operation in Minnesota spiraled into crisis. The reshuffle came amid mounting outrage over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in late January the second killing of a US citizen in as many weeks and a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border patrol officers that has galvanized resistance across the Twin Cities."

"Homan's background running ICE where agents are expected to investigate criminal records and addresses rather than rely on broad street sweeps could, in theory, lower the temperature. But experts warn that any shift depends entirely on whether he reins in the tactics that have colored the operation so far. It's too soon to say if immigration enforcement has dialed back its demographic profiling while targeting immigrants, said David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, while noting that ICE is continuing its aggressive and reckless behavior towards protesters and other observers."

Tom Homan ordered a drawdown of 700 federal immigration officers while roughly 2,000 remain in Minnesota, far above the typical 150. The deployment followed aggressive raids by Border Patrol under Gregory Bovino that included street, parking lot and home operations and sparked widespread backlash after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. The surge of ICE and Border Patrol officers galvanized resistance across the Twin Cities and raised concerns about demographic profiling and tactics. Experts warn any change hinges on whether tactics are reined in. ICE continues aggressive behavior toward protesters and observers despite leadership changes.

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