Tom Homan, described within Donald Trump’s administration as the “border czar,” said the U.S. president had approved his proposal to wind down an operation in Minnesota aimed at identifying and deporting undocumented immigrants.
“I made the proposal, and President Trump agreed, to bring this large-scale operation to an end,” Homan said at a press conference on February 12, according to Reuters.
About three thousand immigration agents were involved in the Minnesota operation. In late January, Trump said that officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as Border Patrol agents, would be withdrawn in stages from Minneapolis—the state’s largest city.
In early February, Homan spoke of recalling 700 agents. He has now уточified that the remaining units will leave the state next week—by February 22.
The large-scale operation in Minneapolis sparked protests. In January, on different days, two local residents—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—were killed in the city during actions by the agents.