Will changes to ICE operations in Minneapolis be enough?
Tom Homan promised improvements to ICE operations in Minneapolis. Will it shift the country’s attitude on immigration enforcement?
Protests and skirmishes between Minnesota residents and federal agents are still ongoing after the second shooting of a US citizen in Minneapolis this month. Thirty-seven year old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was killed by Border Patrol agents while filming immigration operations in the city. Following a weekend of inflammatory comments by DHS secretary Kristy Noem and other members of the Trump administration, the president has looked to turn the temperature down. He deployed ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to take command of operations in Minneapolis. The experienced immigration official acknowledged that “certain improvements could and should be made” to immigration enforcement in the area. But Homan insisted that more cooperation from state and local officials would be necessary before a reduction in federal presence.
It remains to be seen whether the tonal shift or any changes in operations will be effective in the Twin Cities region. The situation has raised concerns among Congress that legislative action may be necessary. Senate Democrats worked toward a deal with the White House to avoid a government shutdown over DHS funding. While some initial framework has been drawn up, the two sides will continue negotiating new guardrails for ICE and Border Patrol. Will Congress step up for a rare check of the Oval Office?
Plus, we’ll answer listener questions about where executive power and America’s position as a world leader stand after a tumultuous start to 2026.
Further Reading:
Conservatives, liberals shift gun rights arguments after shooting
On Immigration, the G.O.P. Finds Itself in a Shocking Place: On Defense - The New York Times
Battles Are Raging Inside the Department of Homeland Security - The Atlantic
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Will's comment - well-funded? No. I live in Minnesota. When you see your neighbors being taken at random. Being killed. Seeing the government coming into people's homes and taking them, your logical response is to come out and try to protect your neighbors. To Minnesota's credit, we have done that with whistles and phones. We have borne witness to this. We have held vigils to Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Was this funded by anyone? No. This has been grassroots. So has the response to bring food to the people who are scared to leave their homes. Because that is how Minnesotans are. When you live in a climate like ours, it is how you survive.
I'm in Minneapolis and I am appalled at the suggestion that the majority of the"protestors" are either obstructing ICE or intentionally agitating. Please start using the term Constitutional Observers. That's what the vast majority of us are. We are watching ICE agents BECAUSE they are acting illegally. We are filming them, because the government is lying to us. And we are helping our neighbors who are afraid to come out because they will be illegally abducted. I'm sure there are some agitating protestors, but the majority of us are NOT that at all.