Border czar Homan vows to stay in Minneapolis until immigration issues resolved
MINNEAPOLIS (TNND) — Border czar Tom Homan said on Thursday that he will stay in Minneapolis "until the problem is gone" after President Donald Trump tapped him to lead an immigration crackdown, following the departure of Border Patrol commander at large Gregory Bovino from the state.
"I've been on the ground less than three full days. I got in here on Monday. The President of the United States called me Monday morning and asked me to deploy here," Homan told reporters. "Got here Monday evening, and I'm staying till the problem's gone."
Homan added that Trump promised the American people, including residents in Minnesota, that he would work to make sure communities are safe and ensured the administration "is absolutely focused on identifying removal aliens that pose a public safety threat and national security threats."
He also highlighted his recent talks with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Attorney General Keith Ellison, noting that while there were disagreements, they agreed on cooperating with local officials and strengthening community safety.
"In my meetings with folks so far, and most importantly, the governor and the AG, the Mayor Frey, we didn't agree on everything," Homan explained. "I didn't expect to agree on anything. I've heard many people want to know why we're talking to people who they don't consider friends in administration. Bottom line is you can't fix problems if you don't have discussions."
Homan said that if agreements are put in place, eventually fewer agents will be on the streets.
If we get these agreements in place, that means less agents on the street. More agents in the jail means less agents in the street. This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here. Yes, I said it. Draw down the number of people here because we have the efficiency and safety of the jails.
Additionally, while he acknowledged that immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota have not been perfect, he was also adamant that the administration isn't surrendering its mission.
"By and large, for decades, ICE and CBP have carried out their duties with integrity, professionalism, and compassion," he stated. "That remains the expectation of President Trump, and we will, I will hold our agents and officers to that standard."
Homan warned that if federal agents don't act with professionalism, "they'll be dealt with like any other federal agency; we have standards of conduct."
The border czar said the "hostile rhetoric and dangerous threats and hate" against immigration enforcement agents "must stop" in the wake of the deadly shootings.
Reports suggested Trump wasn't happy with how Bovino and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handled the death of Alex Pretti by federal immigration enforcement agents.
The president praised Homan as "tough but fair" as violent protests plague Minneapolis after two deadly shootings in a matter of weeks.
“I begged for the last two months on TV for the rhetoric to stop. I said in March, if the rhetoric didn’t stop, there’s going to be bloodshed, and there has been. I wish I wasn’t right,” he said.
Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the state were directed to avoid interacting with "agitators" and only target "aliens with a criminal history," according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters.
“DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS,” Marcos Charles, the top official in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, said in an email. "It serves no purpose other than inflaming the situation. No one is going to convince the other. The only communication should be the officers issuing commands."
"We are moving to targeted enforcement of aliens with a criminal history," the memo read. "This includes arrests, not just convictions. ALL TARGETS MUST HAVE A CRIMINAL NEXUS."
The White House told Reuters it is engaged in “ongoing conversations” on how to effectively carry out operations in Minnesota.
According to the memo, ICE officers will also receive megaphones so they can issue commands to the public and "need to verbalize every step of the arrest process."
Additionally, agents can check license plates for potential targets and are instructed to arrest the registered owner if the owner is an immigrant with a criminal history.
A new video was released on Wednseday appearing to show Pretti kicking and spitting on a federal agent's car in an encounter 11 days before he was fatally shot on Jan. 13.
The 37-year-old ICU nurse was captured in a bystander’s video in a crowd, cursing out immigration agents as an unmarked group of vehicles arrived at a street corner in Southern Minneapolis
