Trump Renews Attacks on Minnesota Leaders as Homan Takes Over ICE Surge Operations
Two controversial federal‑agent shootings in Minneapolis — including the killing of Alex Pretti, where available video and officials’ accounts have challenged DHS’s initial claims and body‑worn camera footage remains under review — have sparked protests and intense scrutiny of DHS leadership. In response, DHS pulled Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino from the operation and installed border czar Tom Homan to lead Operation Metro Surge and meet with Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey to press for targeted tactics and custody transfers, even as President Trump renewed public attacks on Minnesota officials within 48 hours.
📌 Key Facts
- Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse from the Minneapolis area, was killed by federal officers in Minneapolis; DHS says he approached officers with a gun, "violently resisted," had two magazines and no ID, and that an agent fired "defensive shots," while cellphone video verified by MS NOW and NPR reporting show no visible gun in his hands and say there is no verified evidence he brandished a weapon.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara say Pretti had a lawful firearm and a concealed‑carry permit and had no notable prior law‑enforcement history beyond traffic tickets; Pretti’s family says he joined protests after the ICE killing of Renee Good.
- DHS told NPR there is body‑camera footage from multiple angles under review and that the criminal investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations with FBI support and a separate CBP internal review, but ICE’s St. Paul ERO office has no body‑worn cameras, is not scheduled or funded for them, and equipping ICE personnel in Minnesota would require roughly 2,000 devices and about 180 days for deployment.
- The shootings occurred amid Operation Metro Surge — roughly 2,000 rotating federal immigration officers deployed in Minneapolis — which has prompted ongoing lawsuits, growing protests and vigils, and scrutiny of federal tactics including crowd control and arrest methods.
- The administration removed Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino from public oversight of Minnesota operations and sent him back to his El Centro post, and installed White House border czar Tom Homan as the public lead for immigration operations in the state; there are reported internal rifts at DHS over Bovino’s elevation and early messaging from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who has been questioned at the White House but is expected to remain in her job.
- Tom Homan met with Gov. Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey and local law‑enforcement leaders; Walz pressed for impartial investigations into the shootings, a "swift, significant reduction" in federal forces, an end to what he called a campaign of retribution, and designated the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as the primary liaison with Homan, while Frey reiterated that Minneapolis will not enforce federal immigration law and demanded Operation Metro Surge end quickly.
- President Trump spoke with Walz and Frey, publicly framed the call as productive and said Homan would follow up; Trump also indicated he might reduce federal agents in Minnesota if state and local authorities agree to honor ICE detainers and transfer criminal noncitizens from jails and prisons.
- Despite initial White House efforts to "turn down the temperature," within 48 hours Trump resumed public attacks on Minnesota leaders — posting on Truth Social that Mayor Frey is "PLAYING WITH FIRE!" and again targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar (including unproven claims about an incident in which she was sprayed) — while some conservative immigration experts say the administration is shifting tactics toward custody transfers rather than at‑large arrests and some federal agents have begun leaving Minnesota.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
DAVID MARCUS: Spurning Trump means Mayor Jacob Frey owns Minneapolis mess
"The Fox opinion piece criticizes Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for rejecting President Trump’s conditional offer—personnel changes plus demands that local authorities turn over criminal noncitizens—arguing Frey’s refusal leaves Minneapolis responsible for the unrest and that basic cooperation would reduce the need for an aggressive federal ICE/Border Patrol surge."
📰 Source Timeline (8)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 28, 2026
4:27 PM
Trump's Minnesota de-escalation lasts less than 48 hours
New information:
- Trump posted on Truth Social that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is "PLAYING WITH FIRE!" after Frey said the city does not enforce federal immigration law, and Frey publicly replied that he wants police protecting residents, not "hunting down a working dad."
- In an Iowa speech and subsequent ABC interview, Trump again targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar and, after she was rushed and sprayed with an unknown liquid at a town hall, claimed without evidence that she staged the incident.
- Axios reports that, despite earlier White House efforts to "turn down the temperature," Trump has resumed public attacks within 48 hours, while Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino and some agents are reportedly leaving Minnesota and border czar Tom Homan is now overseeing operations with a stated intent to shift toward more targeted, less confrontational tactics.
- Gov. Tim Walz described himself as "skeptically optimistic" after speaking with Homan but said there has been no progress beyond a change in tone, and he reiterated his view that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem should resign and "go back to South Dakota" in light of the Minnesota crisis.
4:23 AM
Border czar Homan meets with Minnesota officials following immigration operation tensions
New information:
- Border czar Tom Homan met Tuesday with Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and local law‑enforcement leaders in Minnesota.
- Walz’s office says he pressed Homan for impartial investigations into the two recent federal‑agent shootings, a 'swift, significant reduction' in the number of federal forces in Minnesota, and an 'end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota.'
- Walz designated the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as the primary liaison with Homan; Frey reiterated that Minneapolis will not enforce federal immigration laws and demanded Operation Metro Surge end 'as quickly as possible.'
- Homan publicly characterized the meetings as 'productive' and emphasized agreement on supporting law enforcement and 'getting criminals off the streets,' while Trump told Fox the leadership shake‑up is a 'change' but not a 'pullback.'
January 27, 2026
12:32 PM
Conservative immigration experts split on whether Trump is 'backing down' in MN ICE fight
New information:
- Walz says Trump told him on a call he is considering reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota if state and local authorities agree to honor ICE detainers and transfer criminal noncitizens from jails and prisons.
- Trump publicly framed the call on Truth Social as a 'very good' conversation and said he will have Tom Homan call Walz, emphasizing a focus on taking custody of criminal noncitizens from state and local 'possession.'
- FAIR Executive Director Dale Wilcox warns that if the administration 'accedes to Minnesota's unreasonable, unlawful demands' it would be 'surrendering the rule of law to thugs and brigands,' while Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies counters that Trump is not backing down but trying to return to custody transfers instead of at‑large arrests.
12:31 PM
Trump sends border czar to Minnesota. And, trial over social media addiction begins
New information:
- NPR confirms that the Trump administration has replaced Gregory Bovino with Border Czar Tom Homan as the public lead for immigration operations in Minnesota, with Bovino returning to his prior California post.
- The article reports that President Trump personally called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey; Walz describes Trump’s tone as appearing more earnest and collaborative, while Frey says Trump agreed the present situation in the state 'cannot continue.'
- NPR notes thousands of masked federal agents remain in Minnesota streets, with growing protests and vigils for Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti and no indication that state police and federal counterparts are jointly investigating the shootings.
11:58 AM
Noem facing internal scrutiny but expected to keep job, sources say
New information:
- Multiple administration sources tell CBS Noem has been questioned at the White House over DHS’s handling and messaging on the Alex Pretti shooting but is expected to keep her job.
- DHS is pulling Border Patrol "commander" Gregory Bovino out of Minneapolis and sending him back to his normal role as El Centro sector chief along the southwest border, citing both backlash over his rhetoric and serious threats against him.
- White House border czar Tom Homan is being sent to lead the Minneapolis operation; Trump and aides are explicitly betting he can work with Democratic officials like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
- CBS details internal rifts inside DHS over Bovino’s elevation to oversee interior raids — a role traditionally handled by ICE — and over Noem’s and Bovino’s early statements about Pretti that were not supported by video evidence.
- The article confirms that Noem’s operational focus is expected to shift away from high‑profile interior raids back toward the southern border and other priorities, even as dozens more House Democrats sign onto impeachment articles against her.
10:00 AM
Minneapolis killings put a focus on use of body cameras
New information:
- NPR reports that there is currently no verified evidence that Alex Pretti brandished his handgun at any time during the encounter; available video and eyewitness accounts so far refute DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s claim that he 'attacked' officers while 'brandishing' a weapon.
- DHS told NPR that 'there is body camera footage from multiple angles' under review, but clarifies the investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations with FBI support and a separate CBP internal review.
- ICE’s St. Paul Enforcement and Removal Operations field office director Samuel Olson states in written testimony that there are no body‑worn cameras physically located at the St. Paul office, that ERO St. Paul is not scheduled or funded for BWC deployment, and that equipping all ICE personnel operating in Minnesota would require roughly 2,000 devices and about 180 days for shipping, installation, testing and training.
- NPR ties the lack and de‑prioritization of body‑camera programs to broader Trump‑administration policy choices in the second term, noting that federal law does not mandate BWCs for ICE or CBP and that camera programs have been pushed down the priority list.
- The article situates the Pretti and Renee Macklin Good killings within the presence of about 2,000 rotating immigration officers in Minneapolis under 'Operation Metro Surge' and notes ongoing lawsuits and protests over tactics, including crowd control and arrest methods.
January 24, 2026
10:40 PM
Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, killed by federal officers in Minneapolis
New information:
- Confirms the victim as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive care unit nurse who reportedly worked at the VA and lived in the Minneapolis area.
- Reports DHS’s detailed claim that Pretti approached officers with a gun, "violently resisted," had two magazines and no ID, and that an agent fired "defensive shots" to stop an alleged planned "massacre."
- Introduces and describes cellphone video, verified by MS NOW, that shows Pretti holding a phone, intervening as an officer shoves another person, being pepper‑sprayed and tackled, and then shot — with no gun visible in his hands.
- Quotes Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stating Pretti had a lawful firearm and concealed‑carry permit and that his only prior law‑enforcement history was traffic tickets.
- Adds family context via an AP interview with his father, who says Pretti joined protests after the ICE killing of Renee Good and had been urged by his parents to avoid engaging with officers.