Trump sends border advisor Tom Homan to Minnesota as federal immigration tactics face growing scrutiny
As federal immigration tactics face increased legal and political scrutiny after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis over the weekend, President Trump announced Monday that he would send border adviser Tom Homan to Minnesota.
Until now, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has been overseeing the federal government’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. But while the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security has faced widespread criticism for its aggressive tactics since launching Operation Metro Surge in December, Trump signaled he may change strategy when sending Homan to the region on Monday.
“He’s not interested in this area, but he knows and likes a lot of people there,” Trump said. in question Homan at Truth Social. “Tom is tough but fair and will report directly to me.”
Trump’s appointment of Homan came as a federal judge heard arguments Monday about whether the Trump administration should temporarily suspend immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Democratic senators, meanwhile, plan to oppose a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, raising the possibility of a partial government shutdown, and a small but growing number of Republicans have joined Democrats’ calls for a comprehensive investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti.
The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti, a 37-year-old critical care nurse, approached federal officers on the street Saturday morning with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him. However, cell phone videos recorded by eyewitnesses contradict this statement.
According to videos taken at the scene, Pretti was holding a phone, not a gun, when he appeared in front of a federal agent who was targeting a woman with pepper spray. Federal agents pinned him to the ground and shot him.
Pretti is the second US citizen killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis this month. On January 7, 37-year-old mother Renee Good was shot in the head by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the criticism this weekend by saying her agency would lead the investigation into Pretti’s killing.
Local and state officials in Minnesota accused Homeland Security of mishandling evidence after federal authorities denied Minnesota state investigators access to the shooting scene in South Minneapolis. Late Saturday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension asked a federal court to prevent Homeland Security and Department of Justice officials from destroying or concealing evidence.
It’s not immediately clear how Bovino’s role might change with Homan coming to Minneapolis.
Noem, who backed Bovino’s aggressive tactics, said Monday that Homan’s departure for Minneapolis was “good news.”
“I worked closely with Tom last year and he has been a great asset to our team,” Noem said. wrote X. Homan’s “experience and insight” will “help us eliminate more public safety threats and violent criminal illegal aliens” from the streets of Minneapolis, he said.
However, some Democrats in Minnesota oppose sending Homan to Minnesota. Minneapolis City Council member Soren Stevenson said the move would only increase tensions.
“They’re losing the war in people’s minds,” Stevenson told CNN, noting that people can see the video evidence contradicts federal accounts of Border Patrol agents’ actions.
“They’re losing this narrative battle and he sends in his best bodyguard,” Stevenson added. “And it really escalates because we just want to be left alone. The chaos in our society comes from ICE. It comes from this invasion that we’re under… and it needs to stop.”
In a brief interview with the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump criticized Pretti for carrying a gun during protest activities.
“I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like this,” Trump said. “But I don’t like it when someone shows up at a protest and has a high-powered, fully loaded gun with two magazines full of bullets. That’s not a good thing either.”
The president declined to comment on whether the agent who shot Pretti did the right thing. “We’re looking,” Trump said when pressed. “We are reviewing everything and we will come out with a determination.”
Democratic officials, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have called on federal immigration officials to leave Minneapolis. On Sunday, Trump said they could withdraw but did not give a timeline.
“We will leave at some point,” the president said. “They did an outstanding job.”
