White House and GOP Allies Tout Operation Metro Surge as Homan Details Minnesota Drawdown and Ongoing Mass Deportations
Border czar Tom Homan announced that Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota will conclude, with a significant drawdown already underway over the next week — he said roughly 700 agents will be pulled out while a smaller security and investigative footprint remains and further reductions will depend on local cooperation and other ICE priorities. The White House and GOP allies touted the surge as a success, citing more than 4,000 arrests and other claimed results and vowing continued targeted enforcement and mass deportations nationwide, even as the operation provoked protests, political backlash and scrutiny after the fatal shootings of two residents.
📌 Key Facts
- Border czar Tom Homan announced that Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area will conclude: he said he proposed ending the surge, President Trump concurred, and a "significant drawdown" is underway with Homan remaining on the ground to oversee the transition while a small footprint will stay to finish investigations and provide security.
- The deployment was large and sustained—news reports put the surge at roughly 10 weeks and involving about 3,000 federal agents at its peak—and officials gave differing near‑term counts as the pullback proceeded (administration statements cited an initial removal of ~700 agents, later saying more than 1,000 had left and that roughly 2,000–2,300 remained before further drawdown).
- The White House and GOP allies publicly touted the operation as successful, saying it produced more than 4,000 arrests/detentions (which the administration characterized as 'criminal illegal aliens'), claimed the recovery of thousands of missing migrant children, and insisted that mass deportations and targeted enforcement will continue nationwide as agents are reassigned.
- The operation provoked major controversy after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. residents (Renee Good and Alex Pretti) and wounded another man; the killings, widespread protests (including organized efforts to warn residents of federal activity), and reports of business losses and community trauma were repeatedly cited as drivers of political backlash and the decision to draw down.
- Minnesota leaders reacted with mixed messages: Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey hailed the announced withdrawal as a victory and demanded federal accountability and funding to repair damage, while also expressing skepticism that the promised removal will fully materialize ('we'll believe it when we see it').
- Homan and administration officials described operational changes accompanying the wind‑down: a shift to more targeted, jail‑based arrests (pairing CBP agents with ICE officers), commitments from some counties to allow federal access to detained inmates, the introduction of body‑worn cameras for agents in the Twin Cities, and continued retention of personnel working criminal and fraud investigations until complete.
- The drawdown announcement coincided with intense congressional scrutiny—Senate and House hearings where ICE, CBP and DHS leaders defended tactics, training and transparency—producing mixed partisan reactions and renewed criticism over administration rhetoric (including prior public labeling of the killed residents as 'domestic terrorists').
📰 Source Timeline (33)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 15, 2026
8:45 PM
Trump's border czar says 'small' security force will remain in Minnesota after enforcement drawdown
New information:
- Tom Homan told CBS' 'Face the Nation' that more than 1,000 immigration agents have already left Minnesota’s Twin Cities area and 'hundreds more' will depart in the days ahead as part of the Operation Metro Surge drawdown.
- Homan said a 'small' security force will remain in Minnesota for a 'short period' to protect remaining immigration agents and to respond when they are 'surrounded by agitators,' though he did not define the size of that force.
- He stated that ICE has 'already removed well over 1,000 people' from Minnesota and that 'several hundred more' will be removed on Monday and Tuesday, after which the footprint will return to its 'original' pre‑surge size.
- Homan emphasized that enforcement in the Twin Cities will continue and that 'mass deportations will continue across the country,' with agents reassigned back to home stations or to other locations.
February 13, 2026
6:41 PM
Minneapolis mayor skeptical as ICE pledges to withdraw: We’ll ‘believe it when we see it’
New information:
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says he will 'believe it when we see it,' signaling skepticism that the announced drawdown will fully materialize.
- Frey explicitly credits 'tens of thousands' of peaceful protesters and mutual aid efforts with forcing the Trump administration’s hand on ending Operation Metro Surge.
- He estimates small local businesses have been losing between $10 million and $20 million collectively every week during the surge and notes that some have already shut down.
- Frey reiterates that two people were killed during the operation and says there was no 'deal' struck with Tom Homan over the withdrawal; he characterizes the administration as having tried and failed to 'break the people of Minneapolis down.'
5:22 PM
Trump's Operation Metro Surge located 3,000 missing migrant children in Minneapolis, Emmer says
New information:
- House Majority Whip Tom Emmer tells Fox News Digital that Operation Metro Surge 'picked up 4,000 illegal alien criminals' and 'located 3,000 missing migrant children' in the Minneapolis area.
- Emmer explicitly links those claimed results to Trump’s crackdown and to Minneapolis’s sanctuary policies, accusing Gov. Tim Walz and AG Keith Ellison of 'rooting against' the operation.
- He reiterates the partisan blame frame around the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, arguing their deaths 'didn't have to be this way' and attributing the chaos to local non‑cooperation.
- The piece notes the administration has now announced the end of the current Metro Surge deployment, with Emmer presenting that as the close of a successful operation despite the controversy.
3:51 PM
Jacob Frey is skeptical of ICE withdrawal from Minneapolis, says 'I'll believe it when I see it'
New information:
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told 'The Daily Show' he will 'believe it when I see it' regarding Tom Homan’s pledge to withdraw ICE agents from the city.
- Frey publicly credited 'the 435,000 Minneapolis residents' and 'tens of thousands' of peaceful protesters—described as bringing food to fearful neighbors and guarding a daycare—as the ones who forced the end of Operation Metro Surge.
- Frey said he has been told 700 federal agents were previously 'promised to be removed' and that his 'hope and expectation' is that the operation will be drawn down within about a week, while Homan has said a 'small footprint' and investigative personnel will remain until their work is complete.
3:37 PM
Leavitt vows nothing will stop ICE enforcement after 4,000 illegal alien criminals caught in Minnesota
New information:
- Karoline Leavitt labeled Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota a 'resounding success' and claimed it resulted in the detention and deportation of 'more than 4,000 illegal alien criminals' from Minnesota alone.
- Leavitt said on Fox & Friends that 'nothing will ever stop President Trump and this administration from targeted immigration enforcement,' explicitly vowing that enforcement in Minnesota 'absolutely will not' end even as agents are drawn down.
- The article quotes Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz celebrating the removal of agents, accusing the federal government of having 'deep damage' and 'generational trauma' to repair and demanding that Washington 'pay for what they broke here.'
12:45 AM
Minnesota ICE surge is ending, border czar announces
New information:
- CBS report reiterates that border czar Tom Homan says Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota is concluding, with a drawdown of federal immigration officers to occur over the next week.
- The segment emphasizes timing and mechanics of the near-term drawdown, framing it as an imminent operational change rather than a longer, phased process.
12:24 AM
2/12: The Takeout with Major Garrett
New information:
- Border czar Tom Homan reiterates on CBS’s 'The Takeout' that the ICE surge in Minnesota is ending, framing it as a completed operation rather than an ongoing campaign.
February 12, 2026
11:55 PM
After deaths, protests and political backlash, ICE surge set to end in Minnesota
New information:
- PBS segment frames Homan’s Minnesota drawdown announcement explicitly as a response to deaths, protests and political backlash, emphasizing the causal link between public outcry and the policy shift.
- Adds detail that Trump’s broader immigration campaign faced 'intense scrutiny on Capitol Hill' at the same time the drawdown was announced, underlining congressional pressure as a key factor.
- Reinforces that the Minnesota deployment is being characterized as a 'significant' drawdown, not just a minor redeployment tweak.
11:54 PM
Tim Walz demands federal government ‘pay for what they broke’ after Homan announces Minnesota drawdown
New information:
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz publicly demanded that the federal government 'pay for what they broke,' calling for federal funds to address 'deep damage,' 'generational trauma,' economic harm and other fallout from Operation Metro Surge.
- Walz said he will press Minnesota’s congressional delegation to secure federal investment and accountability rather than letting DHS 'just leave' after the surge.
- He tied his funding demand directly to unresolved questions about the federal investigations into the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and about the status of children and families affected by the raids.
11:21 PM
Trump administration ending Minneapolis immigration Operation Metro Surge
New information:
- CBS report reiterates that the Trump administration is ending Operation Metro Surge, framing it as a controversial crackdown that provoked harsh scrutiny and mass protests.
- Adds nationally broadcast confirmation — beyond earlier congressional-hearing remarks — that the administration itself is now publicly presenting Metro Surge as ending.
8:50 PM
Senate grills top immigration officials on enforcement tactics
New information:
- Reports on a separate Feb. 12 Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing where ICE chief Todd Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow defended enforcement tactics, training and transparency.
- Scott told senators body‑worn camera footage of Alex Pretti’s killing will be released publicly “when it’s appropriate,” while urging the public not to “jump to a conclusion.”
- Lyons testified he never personally described Alex Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, despite her public use of that label, and refused earlier in the week before the House to apologize for officials calling Good and Pretti domestic terrorists.
- Sen. Ron Johnson directly accused Minnesota AG Keith Ellison of contributing to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by encouraging activists to put themselves “into harm’s way,” an accusation Ellison forcefully denied.
- Senate Chairman Rand Paul, a Republican, publicly welcomed Tom Homan’s announcement that Metro Surge would be drawn down, calling the reduced presence in Minnesota “a good sign and a good step forward,” while Democratic Sen. Andy Kim said the damage from the surge “has been done.”
8:15 PM
Minnesota attorney general reacts after Homan says ICE operation ending in state
New information:
- CBS locates Homan’s public statement about ending Operation Metro Surge specifically at a Capitol Hill hearing where immigration officials and Minnesota leaders, including AG Keith Ellison, were testifying.
- The segment focuses on Ellison’s immediate reaction to Homan’s drawdown announcement, indicating Minnesota state leadership is formally challenging and scrutinizing the surge in a congressional setting.
- Confirms the end-of-operation timeline (drawdown of officers over the next week) as part of on‑the‑record testimony to Congress, not just a standalone statement.
6:11 PM
Tom Homan says he spoke to Trump about ending Minnesota ICE operation
New information:
- CBS reports Tom Homan personally told CBS that he spoke directly with President Trump and that they jointly reached the decision to end the expanded immigration operation in Minnesota.
- The segment frames the drawdown explicitly as a decision made after a Homan–Trump conversation, not just Homan’s proposal later approved by the White House.
6:11 PM
Trump Administration to End Immigration Enforcement Surge in Minnesota
New information:
- WSJ provides the on‑record quote from Border Czar Tom Homan that 'In the next week, we are going to deploy those officers here on detail back to their home stations or other areas of the country where they are needed.'
- It explicitly characterizes the Minnesota campaign as an 'immigration crackdown' that 'resulted in the shooting deaths of two American citizens and upended life for many residents' in a succinct national framing.
- It confirms the wind‑down is framed by the White House as a redeployment of detailed officers rather than an overall reduction in national enforcement capacity.
5:45 PM
Minnesota leaders praise residents for standing up to ‘bullies’ during Trump crackdown.
New information:
- NYT piece confirms Homan’s public statement that a 'significant drawdown' of federal immigration agents in Minnesota is already underway and will continue into next week, explicitly framing this as the end of the state‑wide surge.
- It quantifies the surge’s scale as involving about 3,000 federal agents—outnumbering the combined police forces of Minneapolis and St. Paul—for more than two months.
- It reports that federal agents have shot three people during the surge: two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed, and a Venezuelan man who was wounded after agents said he resisted arrest.
- Gov. Tim Walz is quoted describing the operation as 'an unprecedented federal invasion in all aspects of life' that left 'deep damage, generational trauma' and 'economic ruin in some cases.'
- Minneapolis City Council president Elliott Payne responds to Homan’s drawdown claim with, 'I’ll believe it when I see it,' capturing local skepticism about whether the withdrawal will actually happen.
- The article underscores that the Trump administration rushed to label Good and Pretti 'domestic terrorists' and 'persisted' in that narrative even as bystander videos undercut the allegations.
- It notes that protesters have routinely trailed federal officers through the Twin Cities blowing whistles to warn residents, and that agents have often 'responded with anger and force,' further inflaming tensions.
- Homan now publicly thanks several Minnesota officials previously attacked by others in the administration and says he has secured more access to undocumented inmates in county jails, though he offers no details on specific agreements.
5:41 PM
Trump border czar Tom Homan announces Minnesota immigration surge is ending
New information:
- Homan publicly announced in Minneapolis on Feb. 12 that he proposed ending Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota and that President Trump concurred, with a 'significant drawdown' already underway this week and continuing into next week.
- He framed the end of the surge as the result of 'improved cooperation' with state and local law enforcement, saying more immigration arrests can now occur in jails instead of street operations and that local police are responding more quickly to protests.
- Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey responded by declaring the withdrawal a victory for Minnesota and Minneapolis, with Walz calling the operation an 'occupation,' saying the trauma to immigrant communities and the broader public is 'unlike anything we've witnessed,' and accusing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino of arrogance and refusing to engage.
- Walz contended the administration 'knew it needed to withdraw' after the killings of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti but wanted to 'save face,' while Homan notably did not say either victim’s name, only stating, 'I don't want to see any more bloodshed.'
- Walz stressed that Minnesota’s own stance on immigration enforcement has not changed — he says the state supports targeted enforcement — and attributes the shift to Homan’s direct engagement compared with prior Trump officials.
4:06 PM
Trump's border czar says massive Minnesota ICE operation is ending
New information:
- CBS segment presents Tom Homan himself, on camera, saying Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota 'is ending,' directly reinforcing prior reporting that he proposed and Trump approved the drawdown.
- The piece ties the announcement explicitly to Homan taking over operations 'following the death of two Americans involving federal officials,' keeping the causal connection between the fatal Good and Pretti shootings and the federal pullback front and center.
2:39 PM
Homan announces Operation Metro Surge to conclude in Minnesota
New information:
- Fox article quotes Homan saying he has 'proposed, and President Trump has concurred,' that Operation Metro Surge conclude, explicitly tying the decision to Trump’s personal concurrence.
- He states that a 'significant drawdown' is already underway this week and will continue through next week, and that a 'small footprint of personnel' will remain temporarily to transition command back to the Minnesota field office and monitor whether 'agitator activity' declines.
- Homan specifies that federal personnel conducting criminal investigations into 'agitators' and those assigned to fraud investigations will remain in Minnesota until their work is completed, and says he himself will stay on the ground to oversee the drawdown.
2:36 PM
Federal immigration operation in Minnesota is ending, Homan says
New information:
- Clarifies that Homan explicitly says he 'proposed — and President Trump has concurred — that this surge operation conclude,' directly tying the end of Operation Metro Surge to a formal proposal‑and‑approval process.
- Specifies that Homan will personally remain in Minnesota to oversee the conclusion of Operation Metro Surge, while only 'a small number of personnel' will remain to close out the operation.
- Provides a slightly more precise timing description: a 'significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue to the next week.'
2:32 PM
Trump administration to end Minnesota immigration crackdown
New information:
- Axios pegs the operation’s duration at about 10 weeks and notes that the surge 'roiled Minnesota and proved politically toxic for the White House.'
- Homan says roughly 2,000 federal agents are still in the state and that a 'significant drawdown' of those remaining agents is underway and will continue through next week.
- He claims the surge achieved the 'successful results we have came here for,' citing more than 4,000 arrests and what he calls 'unprecedented cooperation' from local law enforcement.
- Homan says he has secured local agreements to let federal agents detain undocumented inmates while they are still inside local jails, rather than waiting until after release.
- He also says local law enforcement has committed to 'shut down unlawful agitator activity' that might impede ICE operations.
- Axios explicitly ties the timing of the drawdown announcement to the eve of a congressional deadline for Department of Homeland Security funding.
2:26 PM
Border czar Tom Homan announces end of Minnesota ICE operations
New information:
- Border czar Tom Homan publicly announced that the federal immigration 'surge operation' in Minnesota — Operation Metro Surge — will conclude, with a drawdown to occur over the course of next week.
- Homan said he proposed ending the surge and that President Trump concurred.
- CBS notes this was Homan’s third formal update since he was tasked with leading Operation Metro Surge.
- The article reiterates that White House officials are claiming at least 4,000 arrests in Minnesota linked to the operation.
2:23 PM
Homan announces end to Minnesota immigration crackdown
New information:
- Homan publicly stated at a Minneapolis news conference that 'this surge operation' in Minnesota will 'conclude' and that President Trump has concurred.
- He framed the outcome by saying 'Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals.'
- Updated arrest figure: federal authorities now say Operation Metro Surge has led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area.
- The piece reiterates that, despite the administration labeling arrestees 'dangerous criminal illegal aliens,' people with no criminal record — including children and U.S. citizens — have also been detained.
- Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey both confirm recent direct conversations with Homan and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles about drawing down the surge and say they expect it to end in 'days, not weeks and months.'
- Article notes Homan formally took over the Minnesota operation in late January after the second fatal ICE/CBP shooting and surging political backlash.
February 11, 2026
8:23 PM
Minnesota police say vehicle believed to be pursued by federal agents crashed downtown, protests ensue
New information:
- St. Paul Police say a vehicle believed to be pursued by federal agents crashed at Western and Selby Avenues around 9:39 a.m. Wednesday.
- The pursued driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
- Witnesses reported three to four vehicles involved and described a 'huge protest' with a large crowd gathering at the scene.
- Federal agencies (ICE, DHS) have not confirmed involvement or commented on the pursuit.
February 10, 2026
9:25 PM
Gov. Tim Walz says federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota could end within days
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz says, based on recent calls with border czar Tom Homan and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, that he now expects the Minnesota immigration crackdown to end in 'days, not weeks and months.'
- Walz reiterates Homan’s statement that roughly 700 federal officers are leaving but notes about 2,300 federal agents remain on Minnesota streets and says the state is in 'trust but verify' mode.
- Walz says he expects 'cooperation on joint investigations' into the federal‑agent shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, though he offers no specifics and state investigators have so far been locked out.
- State economic officials and a Minneapolis food‑hall owner detail how the surge has chilled business, with workers and customers too afraid to come in, and say they have seen no reduction yet in the fear the operation has created.
February 09, 2026
2:37 AM
Trump defends Minneapolis federal enforcement, says crime plunged after ‘thousands of criminals’ removed
New information:
- Trump tells NBC News crime in Minneapolis is down '25, 30%' and claims his administration has 'removed thousands of criminals' from the area, most of whom he says came through an 'open border.'
- He cites Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Memphis as examples where he claims crime has dropped dramatically due to federal intervention, including a purported 71% crime drop in New Orleans four weeks after a federal surge and an 80% drop in Memphis after five weeks.
- Trump asserts that 'crime, historically in this country, it's down [to] the lowest level it's ever been' and that murders are at their lowest in decades because his administration is 'tough on crime.'
- He confirms he decided to pull hundreds of federal agents from Minneapolis after the fatal shootings of two residents, saying DHS could 'use a little bit of a softer touch.'
February 05, 2026
8:43 PM
Feds shift to targeted immigration enforcement in Minneapolis under Homan
New information:
- Fox reports that under Tom Homan, CBP agents in Minnesota have been instructed not to approach people they merely suspect are undocumented and to operate only in fully targeted operations, ending prior 'rover' patrols used under Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.
- The article says CBP agents will now be paired with ICE officers specifically to conduct target-based arrests, raising the enforcement threshold for on-the-street encounters.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt adds that dozens of Minnesota counties have formally agreed to coordinate with ICE on jail transfers of 'criminal aliens' and that compliance with those agreements is one of Trump’s conditions for any further drawdown.
6:05 PM
Noem deploys to both borders, says ICE won't be deterred by sanctuary officials who 'want to create conflict'
New information:
- Kristi Noem physically visited both the northern and southern borders in a single day as part of ramped‑up immigration enforcement.
- In an exclusive Nogales interview, Noem said DHS 'won’t be deterred by local elected officials that just want to create conflict' and will continue targeting 'dangerous illegal aliens.'
- Noem contrasted Minneapolis–St. Paul with Memphis, Tennessee, arguing that operations in Memphis went smoothly and reduced crime because a Democratic mayor cooperated with federal agents.
- Noem explicitly blamed Minnesota political leaders’ rhetoric and refusal to 'partner' with the federal government for escalating resistance to ICE there.
- The piece ties Trump’s National Prayer Breakfast defense of Noem — citing 'the strongest border in the history of our country' — directly to the Minnesota controversy.
5:17 PM
Trump administration withdrawing 700 federal agents from Minneapolis, border czar says
New information:
- Border czar Tom Homan told CBS the administration is cutting the Minneapolis federal immigration deployment by 700 personnel.
- Homan said federal immigration agents and officers in the Minneapolis area will begin wearing body cameras.
- The CBS segment confirms this as an on‑the‑record operational change, not just a possibility under discussion.
1:20 PM
Trump says Minneapolis shootings "should have not happened," considers expanding ICE operations
New information:
- In an Oval Office NBC interview excerpted by CBS, Trump said the Minneapolis ICE and Border Patrol shootings 'should have not happened' and that 'maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch' in operations.
- Trump revealed he is actively considering sending ICE enforcement surges to five additional U.S. cities, without naming them.
- He framed the Minneapolis experience as a lesson but did not back away from the broader mass‑deportation campaign.
1:11 PM
Homan to draw down agents in Minnesota. And, U.S.-Russia nuclear arms deal expires
New information:
- Border czar Tom Homan publicly said 700 federal agents are leaving Minnesota but did not give a timeline for fully ending Operation Metro Surge; roughly 2,300 federal agents will remain in the state.
- Homan stated that any further drawdown will depend on the level of cooperation he receives from state and local officials and on resource needs for other planned ICE operations around the country.
- A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds 65% of Americans now say ICE has gone 'too far' in its enforcement, a double‑digit jump since last summer, and shows Trump’s approval is weak across issue areas.
- Trump, in an NBC interview, said he could have used 'a little bit of a softer touch' regarding Minneapolis while not fully backing off his hard‑line rhetoric.
- NPR reiterates that New START, the last U.S.–Russia nuclear‑arms control treaty, has now expired, and both sides long accused the other of non‑compliance, with inspections suspended during COVID and Russia refusing to negotiate with the Biden administration after invading Ukraine.
9:56 AM
Morning news brief
New information:
- NPR’s brief reiterates that hundreds of federal agents are leaving Minnesota, corroborating and reinforcing earlier reporting that roughly 700 immigration agents will be withdrawn from Operation Metro Surge.
- It introduces new NPR/Marist polling showing a recent jump in disapproval of ICE among Democrats and independents, tying public sentiment directly to the Minneapolis shootings and broader Trump‑era enforcement tactics.
- It notes that this redeployment and opinion shift are unfolding as the last major U.S.–Russia arms control treaty expires, underscoring how immigration enforcement changes are occurring alongside major national‑security shifts.
2:50 AM
2/4: CBS Evening News
New information:
- CBS presents the pullout as a Department of Homeland Security decision to remove about 700 agents from Minneapolis, framing it as a concrete step rather than just Homan’s personal announcement.
- The drawdown is highlighted in a national evening newscast as one of the top stories of the day, signaling broader political and public salience of the reduction in federal presence.