Immigration chief departing Minneapolis as Trump sends border tsar Tom Homan to scene

A senior US immigration official is expected to leave the US city of Minneapolis, marking a change in the White House’s tone after a second US citizen was fatally shot by federal officers over the weekend.

As Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and some immigration agents depart, “border czar” Tom Homan will begin leading efforts on the ground in the Minnesota city after tensions rose following the shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday.

President Donald Trump’s decision may indicate the administration’s interest in stepping back from more aggressive federal action in its crackdown on immigrants across the country.

Despite the announcement, monitoring the immigration raids online shows that the administration’s efforts are still continuing.

Bovino was the face of the operation when Pretti, an observer who spotted agents filming, engaged in a shootout on a Minneapolis street that left him shot multiple times.

The border control commander further inflamed the situation after the shooting, claiming that Pretti intended to “massacre” federal agents.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said agents opened fire in self-defense on Saturday after Pretti, who it said was carrying a handgun, resisted attempts to disarm him.

Eyewitnesses, local officials and the victim’s family disputed this account, stating that Pretti was holding a phone, not a gun. His family, meanwhile, accused the administration of spreading “sickening lies” about what happened.

Before the shooting, Bovino was key to the Trump administration’s hardline approach to immigration enforcement in several cities; He was active on social media and regularly filmed raids and released promotional videos showing his agents’ actions.

Homan, who will report directly to the president, defends Trump’s aggressive enforcement of immigration. But he also has experience in this role; Homan worked on immigration and deportation issues during Democrat Barack Obama’s administration.

Tensions and frustration with the presence of federal officials remained high in Minneapolis on Monday, despite news that Bovino and some agents would be leaving.

“A lot of people can’t work right now, they can’t leave their homes, they’re scared,” said George Cordero, a St. Paul resident of sister city Minneapolis.

Pretti was the second Minneapolis resident shot and killed by federal immigration authorities since their arrival in the state; Renee Nicole Good was killed by an Immigration and Customs Border Protection (ICE) agent on January 7.

Much of the anger from politicians in the city and on both sides of the aisle was directed at Bovino and the border patrol agents sent to Minneapolis along with ICE agents at Trump’s directive. In total, there are more than 3,000 immigration offices in the city.

Some media reports on Monday suggested Bovino had been relieved of his duties, but Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin denied that, saying the border patrol chief was “an essential part of the President’s team and a great American.”

Carol Engelheart, a retired nurse from Minneapolis, said she was very emotional about the events of the past few days.

“We have to care about this country, we have to care that we have a Constitution, and if the people organize and stand up, we can do that,” he said, while denouncing immigration enforcement in the city.

Also Monday, Trump said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Democratic leaders who have resisted immigration efforts and demanded agents be removed from the state, will also speak. Trump has criticized both in recent weeks.

Both Trump and local leaders described the talks as positive and said they discussed a path forward; It’s a sign that both sides are looking for a way to end their disagreement over Trump’s deportation drive.

Trump said he and Walz were “on a similar wavelength” and that his target was “every criminal they got.”

“The President agreed to explore reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and to meet with DHS to ensure that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension can conduct an independent investigation as it normally does,” Walz said in a statement after the meeting. he said.

Ensuring an independent investigation into Pretti’s death has been one of Walz’s focuses. Immediately thereafter, local authorities obtained a judicial warrant to gain access to the crime scene to preserve evidence.

Local officials condemned the federal government’s investigation and said they were not allowed access to the scene and evidence following Pretti’s death.

That response was based on local and state officials saying in the wake of Good’s shooting that they had been excluded from the investigation by federal immigration officials.

Demonstrations against the ICE action and memorials for Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was killed over the weekend, continued Monday. More vigils and demonstrations are planned in the coming days.

On Tuesday, Frey said he planned to meet with Homan to “discuss next steps,” marking the first in-person meeting of federal and local officials since Bonvino’s departure was announced.