Border czar Tom Homan says ICE surge operation in Minneapolis is ‘over’

Border czar Tom Homan told CNN’s Sara Sidner on Friday that ICE’s immigration surge in Minneapolis is “over,” and that the agency’s footprint would shrink to approximately 150 agents “within a week.”

During his interview on “CNN News Central,” Homan was asked about the status of the immigration agent drawdown in Minneapolis.

“Where are we? How many officers have left? How many are still there and how long will they stay?” Sidner questioned.

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Although Homan said he was unsure of the exact number of agents remaining in the city, he explained his plans for immigration operations in Minneapolis moving forward. 

“My plan is to get back to the regular footprint, which is 150, but with a couple of caveats,” Homan said. “Number one, we do have a small team of security forces to back up ICE agents in case things get out of hand. And if law enforcement continues to respond like they’ve committed to, then we’ll pull that small force out.”

Despite the planned reduction of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Homan confirmed that the investigators probing alleged widespread fraud in the city will “remain until the investigations are over.”

“But as far as the immigration surge, it’s over,” he continued. “And we should be back to regular footprint within a week.”

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Earlier in the interview, Homan was asked why he referred to the immigration operation in Minneapolis as “a great success,” despite being so unpopular with some of the city’s residents and leadership.

“Well, I never expected the politicians to call it a great success, to give President Trump a win. But bottom line, the streets of Minneapolis and the streets in Minnesota are safer today because we are working with an unprecedented number of sheriffs in the state that will call us before they release a public safety threat to the street,” he responded. “That’s safer for the community, safer for agents, [safer] for the alien.”

“We have great relationships with the state. They honored detainers for anybody [in] the state prison system,” Homan continued. “And even in Minneapolis, Mayor Frey, we won’t agree on much, but Minneapolis PD was actually responding after I met with the mayor to take down the illegal roadblocks put up by agitators. And all the law enforcement, every chief of police I met, every sheriff I met promised to respond to public safety issues.”

The border czar added that when ICE is carrying out enforcement operations, “they get surrounded by agitators and things get out of control,” but local authorities have “committed to responding” to potential safety concerns.

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Last week, Homan told reporters during a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal in Minneapolis that the operation succeeded in reducing public safety threats with “unprecedented levels of coordination” from state officials and local law enforcement.

“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said.

“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” he added.

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Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.