The recent federal response to protests and enforcement operations in Minnesota appears to have eased tensions, at least somewhat, since former ICE Director Tom Homan was dispatched to the state, says Alex Plechash, chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota.
"I wish that Minnesota wasn’t in the bull’s-eye of everything across the country. But that’s where we find ourselves," Plechash told Newsmax TV’s "The Count" on Saturday.
"What I would say is with Tom Homan coming into the state, it has tone[d] things down a little bit.
"And I think there’s more dialog going on now between the feds and our state leaders.
"I’m confident that something’s going to change here, and we’re going to see a resolution to this process in fairly short order," said Plechash.
Plechash’s comments come amid continuing fallout from a controversial federal immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area known as Operation Metro Surge, which has drawn nationwide scrutiny after the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents.
The operation, launched in December 2025, has led to thousands of arrests and two civilian deaths, prompting local protests and legal challenges from Minnesota officials.
Homan’s role, dispatched by the White House as a sort of envoy to calm tensions, has included increased talks with state leadership, even as Minnesota attorneys general and city officials continue to criticize the aggressive enforcement strategy.
The operation has become a flashpoint in debates over federal authority, immigration policy, and civil liberties.
Plechash also addressed public reaction to video footage showing Alex Pretti in a confrontation with federal agents prior to being shot.
Some video clips shared online have sparked conflicting interpretations about whether Pretti behaved aggressively toward law enforcement.
"Well, I think the video shows it all," Plechash told The Count.
"Even any of these incidents that occur, I tell people all around me that you’ll wait until the investigation comes out, until we get all the facts.
"You know, looking at the video that first came out with Alex, you’d get one impression.
"And then when you see these videos that you’re looking at right now, you get an entirely different impression.
"People come into these things with biases, they see what they want to see," Plechash said.
He added that the footage, in his view, suggests Pretti "was not the innocent bystander that people first thought that he was," and "really threw himself right in the mix here."
Plechash stressed that his comments were not an endorsement of violence but urged caution before drawing conclusions.
The death of Pretti has fueled intense debate in Minnesota and nationally about federal immigration enforcement practices.
Critics argue the operations have been overly militarized and have escalated confrontations with civilians, contributing to widespread protests both in Minneapolis and in cities across the country.
State and local officials continue to press legal challenges and call for greater oversight, even as dialogue with federal counterparts persists.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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