Border czar Tom Homan said Thursday he is "staying until the problem's gone" in Minneapolis as federal immigration authorities continue their enforcement operations there.
Homan was referring to immigration enforcement operations after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two local residents who were fatally shot during confrontations with federal officers.
"I've been on the ground less than three full days," Homan said. "The president of the United States called me Monday morning and asked me to deploy here.
"I got here Monday evening, and I'm staying until the problem's gone."
"We've made a lot of progress, a lot of progress in the last three days," said Homan, speaking at a morning press conference that aired live on Newsmax.
He added that there has already been significant progress in talks with local and state leaders, but stressed that the administration's focus is on restoring law and order and removing individuals who pose public safety and national security threats.
Homan said he has already met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and multiple law enforcement leaders, with more meetings planned, including discussions with business and religious leaders.
"We didn't agree on everything," Homan said. "I didn't expect to agree on everything. Bottom line is you can't fix problems if you don't have discussions.
"I didn't come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. I came here to seek solutions."
He said all parties shared common ground on one key issue.
"One thing we all agreed on was that community safety is paramount," Homan said. "One thing we all agreed on was that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a legitimate law enforcement agency that has a duty to enforce the laws enacted by Congress and keep this community safe."
Homan was joined at the press conference by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and Marcus Charles, who is leading Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the region.
But even though he said progress has been made in the talks, he pointed out the consequences of the previous administration's border policies, saying more than 10 million illegal aliens entered the United States under former President Joe Biden, including individuals who were never vetted.
"We can't forget about the 2 million known got-aways," Homan said. "That should scare the hell out of everybody."
He said Trump promised the American people, including the residents of Minnesota, that he would work to ensure communities are safe, adding that the administration has focused on identifying and removing illegal aliens who pose serious threats.
Responding to questions about the heavy federal presence in Minneapolis, Homan said the deployment is necessary due to threats and violence directed at officers.
He said ICE has been stretched thin, with fewer than 5,000 deportation officers previously tasked with locating millions of illegal aliens nationwide.
"Our officers need to be protected," Homan said. "If I'm on an arrest team going into a house, I've got to focus on the dangerous guy inside, not keep looking over my shoulder wondering what's happening outside."
Homan said agreements reached with state and local officials will allow federal authorities to begin drawing down resources as violence decreases and cooperation improves, particularly when public safety threats can be handled within jail settings.
"You're going to see a drawdown, no question," Homan said. "The agreements alone are going to cause a significant drawdown."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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