Tom Homan Pulls Federal Agents in Minnesota

In a surprising announcement, Tom Homan just announced that he has ordered 700 ICE agents to withdraw from Minnesota, due to what he called “unprecedented” aid from local law enforcement.

Homan also made it clear that he and President Donald Trump remain committed to curbing illegal immigration across America, and that still includes the North Star State.

As reported by Fox News:

White House border czar Tom Homan announced a drawdown of federal agents deployed to Minnesota on Wednesday, a change he said is made possible thanks to “unprecedented cooperation” from local law enforcement.

Homan made the announcement during a Wednesday morning press conference in Minneapolis, saying 700 federal agents would be departing the Twin Cities. He added that the ultimate goal is a “complete drawdown” of federal presence.

Homan highlighted meetings he had with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, urging them all to allow local jails to communicate with federal law enforcement about when they planned to release illegal immigrants being detained there.

“We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets. Unprecedented cooperation,” Homan said Wednesday. “I'll say it again: This is efficient, and it requires only one or two officers to assume custody of a criminal alien target, rather than eight or 10 officers going into the community and arresting that public safety threat.”

Right off the bat, let’s address the elephant in the room: For some folks, that announcement immediately triggered alarm bells. Some of you may have wondered if this is the Trump Administration capitulating to the screaming Left. Truthfully, I don’t see it that way.

Once you look at the facts, you’ll see that this is a smart strategy on Holman’s part. In fact, I’d counter that this is cause for celebration, if what Homan is saying is true and local law enforcement has been working with ICE. That means not only are Minnesota authorities ignoring the calls for them to resist federal agents, but they’re actively taking responsibility for cleaning up their own yard, so to speak, so outsiders don’t have to – and that means, at least in theory, helping to “turn the temperature down.”

And for the record, by some estimates, there have been at least 3,000 ICE agents operating on the ground in Minnesota at one point or another. Removing 700 still leaves a formidable presence. That alone should put to rest any worries that President Trump is just giving up. I just don’t think most people even understood the size and scope of this operation to begin with.

So it’s safe to say this is not about backing off. It seems much more about refining the mission and reducing the tensions. Homan made it clear: When local and state authorities cooperate, ICE won’t feel the need to send eight or 10 agents into neighborhoods to track someone down because it could be accomplished with only a few officers and with far less chaos. And that reduces risk to officers, while also allowing ICE to focus on its core mission rather than wasting time arresting confrontational protesters for obstruction and interference.

But the bottom line: Criminal illegal migrants will still be apprehended, detained, and deported. The mission hasn’t changed. As Homan stated:

If you’re in the country illegally, you are not off the table. . . . President Trump fully intends to achieve mass deportations during this Administration, and immigration enforcement actions will continue every day throughout this country.

Homan’s long-term goal is to return Minnesota to its original ICE footprint, which was about 150 agents, which is typical for any large area with a significant immigrant population. But that’s only possible if state and local authorities continue cooperating on detainers for criminal offenders.

And for those who say ICE is racist or targeting innocent people, let’s be very clear who we’re talking about. Just this week, ICE arrested individuals convicted of domestic violence, child abuse, drug trafficking, assault, terroristic threats, and other serious crimes. These aren’t allegations. These are individuals who have been convicted in American courts. And some of them are truly, as DHS itself calls them, “the worst of the worst.”

If cooperation allows ICE to remove dangerous individuals without militarizing neighborhoods or inflaming protests, that’s not weakness – it’s doing their job the smartest and safest way possible.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of Tom Homan’s latest announcement regarding a drawdown of ICE in Minnesota. We also gave an update on our lawsuit against the state of Massachusetts for funding a multimedia smear campaign against pro-life pregnancy centers across the state. And we shared the details of a recent legal victory in defunding Planned Parenthood.

Watch the full broadcast below: