Donald Trump is withdrawing 700 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from Minnesota following a significant public backlash, according to acting director Tom Homan. The removed agents represent roughly a quarter of the 3,000 officers deployed in what local leaders had described as an 'invasion' of the state.
Homan announced the drawdown on Tuesday, stating that it was the result of an agreement with local county jails to hand over 'threats to the community' to ICE rather than releasing them. He argued this would reduce the need for street-level enforcement against undocumented migrants accused of crimes.
Speaking at a press conference in Minneapolis, Homan said: 'Let me be clear, President Trump fully intends to achieve mass deportations during his administration, and immigration enforcement will continue every day throughout this country.' He confirmed that future operations would be 'targeted' based on reasonable suspicion, but added that if officers encounter other undocumented people during arrests, 'they're coming'.
Local politicians had criticised the initial surge of armed agents as an 'invasion' and warned it was intended to intimidate voters ahead of the midterm elections. Homan defended the operation as 'very effective as far as public safety goes', though he admitted it was not 'perfect'.
The pullback comes as Trump faces a string of negative opinion polls. An IPSOS survey found that 62% of Americans believe ICE officers had gone too far, up from 58% earlier. Only 33% thought the shooting of Alex Pretti was a necessary use of force. Meanwhile, a Pew Research poll showed Trump's approval rating slumped to 37%, with just 27% of Americans supporting most or all of his policies—a drop from 35% a year ago, driven entirely by declining Republican support.
