Trump’s border czar blasts Minnesota as ‘less of a sanctuary state’ while quietly retreating after deadly backlash destroys the operation

President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, just made a major announcement, confirming that the controversial federal operation in Minnesota, known as Operation Metro Surge, is officially coming to an end. Homan held a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal building in Minneapolis, where he stated that he proposed the conclusion of the surge, and President Trump concurred with the decision.

Homan certainly painted the conclusion as a victory for the administration, according to Daily Dot. He told reporters that Operation Metro Surge succeeded in reducing public safety threats in the area. Homan credited this achievement to “unprecedented levels of coordination” between local officials and state law enforcement, which he says was key to the operation’s effectiveness.

Based on these efforts, he declared that Minnesota is now “less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” which is a pretty intense statement showing the administration believes they fundamentally changed the state’s enforcement profile.

A withdrawal of federal agents happened after innocent civilians were killed

Let’s be real, this withdrawal isn’t happening just because everything went perfectly. The operation had been facing intense scrutiny and political heat for weeks. Homan himself only stepped in to take control of the Minnesota mission in late January after the program experienced serious difficulties.

This was following the second fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents, which definitely led to growing questions and massive public backlash about how the operation was actually being run. It sounds to me like the mission was getting way too hot to handle, which is awful for public trust and for the agents trying to do their jobs.

Despite the controversies, the administration is highlighting the enforcement statistics as proof of the surge’s effectiveness. Federal authorities claim the intensive sweeps, which focused on the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people during the operation’s tenure.

Homan confirmed that a “significant drawdown” of immigration agents is already underway, and this reduction will continue through next week. Last week, the border czar announced that 700 federal officers would be leaving the state as part of the initial phase of the conclusion. However, for those concerned about federal presence, it’s important to note that 2,000 officers are actually staying put in the state, so this isn’t a complete exit by any means.

Homan indicated that a complete drawdown is still the ultimate goal, but that’s dependent on a very specific condition: the “end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE.” So, the full withdrawal is contingent on how the situation evolves on the ground. He mentioned that a “small footprint of personnel” will remain in the area for a period of time.

Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into what Homan called the “agitators” are staying put. Personnel handling fraud investigations will also remain in place until they finish their work, suggesting the federal government is still very much active in the region, even if the main surge is over. Homan also confirmed that he will personally remain on the ground to oversee the drawdown and ensure the operation’s claimed success holds up during the transition.