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Tom Homan, the border czar appointed by President Donald Trump to crack down on unlawful immigration, believes the administration should still deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in different sanctuary cities as federal brokers wind down their presence in Minnesota.
Homan stated he thinks that chance relies upon fully on whether or not cities with insurance policies shielding unlawful immigrants resolve to cooperate with federal immigration efforts.
“I feel it is determined by the scenario,” Homan stated in an interview with CBS on Sunday. “I’ve stated from day one which, you recognize, we have to flood the zone and sanctuary cities with further brokers. The variety of brokers is determined by the scenario on the bottom [and] what number of identified prison targets are on the market.”
GRAHAM TEASES TRUMP PLAN TO END SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES ‘FOREVER’
Border czar Tom Homan speaks throughout a information convention about ongoing immigration enforcement operations on Jan. 29, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Scott Olson/Getty Photos)
Homan’s feedback come because the administration seems to be to redirect its immigration enforcement objectives whereas, on the identical time, taking its focus off of Minneapolis by ending Operation Metro Surge.
A number of cities voiced opposition to Trump’s immigration crackdown from the outset of his second time period, making it an official place of obstructing the administration’s work.
In some circumstances, cities restricted their partnerships with ICE by denying them entry to holding amenities, refusing to share intelligence, or instructing native regulation enforcement to ignore their operations.
Minneapolis was considered one of them.
However the Twin Cities started to attract particular consideration from Trump and Homeland Safety (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem final 12 months when hyperlinks surfaced between the state’s Somali immigrant neighborhood and as a lot as $9 billion in state advantages fraud.
In response, the administration started deploying a heavy ICE presence to Minneapolis as a part of Operation Metro Surge and framed it as a solution to push again on unlawful alien criminals within the metropolis. In its first press launch on the operation, DHS revealed that ICE had arrested 5 Somalis and 6 Hispanic aliens with prison backgrounds.
“Right this moment, ICE introduced they’ve arrested a few of the worst prison unlawful aliens, together with baby intercourse offenders, home abusers and violent gang members throughout Operation Metro Surge,” DHS stated in a press release on Dec. 4.
TIM WALZ DEMANDS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ‘PAY FOR WHAT THEY BROKE’ AFTER HOMAN ANNOUNCES MINNESOTA DRAWDOWN
The Division of Homeland Safety introduced on Feb. 4, 2026, that there have been greater than 4,000 arrests of unlawful aliens in Minnesota beneath Operation Metro Surge. (Scott Olson/Getty Photos)
ICE’s presence in Minneapolis quickly turned a lightning rod for Trump’s crackdown on immigration, sparking widespread protests and alarm from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Specifically, Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee alongside Kamala Harris, blasted what he noticed as an absence of communication with native authorities and use of extreme pressure.
“The forcefulness, lack of communication and illegal practices displayed by your brokers won’t be tolerated in Minnesota,” Walz stated in a letter to Noem in December.
Operation Metro Surge ended final week within the wake of two lethal confrontations between immigration enforcement and civilians that introduced renewed scrutiny on DHS and in addition derailed congressional issues for the company’s 2026 funding, thrusting it right into a partial shutdown on Friday.
Regardless of the administration’s tensions in Minnesota, Homan believes officers in sanctuary cities can keep away from future clashes by steering away from repeating Minneapolis’ insurance policies.
NOEM DEPLOYS TO BOTH BORDERS, SAYS ICE WON’T BE DETERRED BY SANCTUARY OFFICIALS WHO ‘WANT TO CREATE CONFLICT’
White Home border czar Tom Homan speaks to the press exterior the West Wing of the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 14, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP through Getty Photos)
“I am hoping different sanctuary cities take a look at what occurred in Minnesota,” Homan stated.
He believes there’s nonetheless room for settlement even amid heightened criticisms of ICE.
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“Lots of politicians are on the market on the left [are] saying ‘OK, ICE, we agree. You need to be specializing in public security threats. You must give attention to unlawful aliens who’ve dedicated severe crimes on this nation,’”
Homan didn’t describe what cities would possibly catch the attention of future ICE operations.
