Leave Democrats unimpressed

‘Nothing has really substantially changed’: Homan’s efforts leave Democrats unimpressed

Early reactions from Democrats underscore how challenging any reset in Minneapolis will be for the White House.

By Myah Ward

Border czar Tom Homan’s draw down of 700 federal agents in Minneapolis marks his latest effort to deescalate tensions after two American citizens were killed by federal agents last month.

Minnesota Democrats insist it isn’t enough.

They say federal immigration agents are still deployed across the city, with U.S. citizens continuing to have aggressive run-ins with them. Community members remain on edge, avoiding work and keeping children home from school. Both Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday called for a faster and larger drawdown of federal agents, a plea echoed by state, local and federal officials.

“Now we only have 2,300 aggressive, brutal, cosplaying soldiers bursting into people’s homes, brutalizing people on the streets, killing citizens, creating mayhem and chaos,” said state Sen. Scott Dibble, a member of the Democratic-Farm-Labor Party.

“Words mean nothing. We have the evidence. We have the videos. We have the photographs, we have the documentation of what exactly they’re doing,” he continued.

Amid plummeting poll numbers and widespread bipartisan backlash, the Trump administration is attempting to reframe its aggressive deportation campaign, claiming to prioritize public safety threats and focus on targeted enforcement operations. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are demanding wholesale changes to how ICE operates before they will vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

But early reactions from Democrats underscore just how challenging any reset in Minneapolis — a city that has found itself at the center of President Donald Trump’s federal crackdown — will be for Homan and the White House. And it foreshadows the major obstacles the administration could face as it continues its mass deportation campaign in blue cities across the country, where Democratic officials say community trust has been crippled after Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, were fatally shot by federal agents last month.

“You tell us at some point there will only be 2,300, 3.5 times as many police as we have in our city, is that supposed to reassure us?” said Minnesota state Rep. Aisha Gomez, a DFL member who represents parts of South Minneapolis. “They’re in Minneapolis now, but they can be coming for your city next.”

Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), in an interview, said the reduction in agents is “good news,” but that she has heard “nothing has really substantially changed” on the ground as more than 2,000 agents remain.

“You got to see action, and not just words,” Smith said.

White House officials reiterated on Wednesday that Homan’s decision to pull 700 agents was a result of new cooperation with local officials to take custody of immigrants who have committed crimes directly from jails. That meant the government no longer needs as many officers in the state.

“Thanks to Tom Homan’s tireless work, an unprecedented number of counties in Minnesota have agreed to coordinate with ICE to transfer custody of criminal aliens upon their release,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “This is one of the conditions President Trump set for a draw down. These commitments have been made by local officials, and will continue to be monitored for compliance.”

Republicans view the retreat of 700 agents as a positive effort from the Trump administration to tame tensions, but even many of them say it will do little to resolve ongoing clashes between state and local Democrats, protesters and federal officials. Shawn Holster, emeritus chair of the Minneapolis Republican Party, said disruptions inside the city have continued since Homan’s arrival — blaming state and local Democrats for refusing to tamp down their rhetoric.

“In Minneapolis and Hennepin County, specifically, it won’t be over until every agent is out, come hell or high water,” Holster said. “And bloody murder will be screamed from the top of their lungs until that day happens, and by my reckoning, they’re going to be screaming bloody murder until this operation is over legitimately.”

Trump, in an interview with NBC Nightly News Wednesday, said his administration could use a “softer touch” with immigration enforcement, while adding that they must remain “tough” as they go after “really hard criminals.”

“But look, I’ve called the people. I’ve called the governor. I’ve called the mayor,” the president said. “Had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there. Literally as though a call wasn’t made.”

Trump tapped Homan, who has more than 30 years of immigration enforcement experience working for both Republican and Democratic administrations, to recalibrate the administration’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Homan, an Obama appointee and the architect of the former president’s Priority Enforcement Program, has long opposed the flashy tactics deployed by now-sidelined Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino.

But even Trump allies, who wish Homan the best, acknowledge the uphill climb he faces while thousands of federal agents still patrol the streets.

“I’m optimistic. But in a battle zone, where you have a lot of physical confrontation happening, and no security, really … even the targeted [arrests] probably will draw physical confrontation,” said a DHS official, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

Homan also must strike a political balance. He can’t let back down from Trump’s promise to be “tough” on immigration, while convincing Democrats in the state — and at the federal level — that enough changes are underway for the Trump administration to walk away with a budget deal.

“[The goal] is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can, but that is largely contingent upon the end of the illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we’re seeing in the community,” Homan said. “We will not draw down on personnel providing security for our officers.”

The Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this week that agents in Minneapolis would begin wearing body cameras during operations in the city. And on Wednesday, the Star Tribune reported that Homan and the Minnesota’s sheriffs group are negotiating an agreement to grant ICE agents access to county jails. Homan said the 700-person draw down was the result of local cooperation.

Republican state Rep. David Baker, who represents Wilmar, 100 miles west of Minneapolis, said local officials have informed him of some improvements in recent days. He said since Homan took over, communication between ICE leadership and local law enforcement has improved dramatically. He said 10 days ago they were seeing 1,000 kids absent from school, but that number has now returned to a more-typical 300.

“For some people, it’ll never be fast enough — sort of what our governor and the city of Minneapolis mayor is saying. They want them out now, and that’s simply not going to happen,” Baker said, adding that his community has experienced business losses and economic downturn amid the surge. “But what we are seeing here on the ground — in a diverse community — is some indications that things are going in a better direction.”

But Democrats — while they cheered Bovino’s exit — say Homan’s leadership is just window dressing, and further that they don’t consider him a moderating force. They maintain that the border czar, the architect of the first Trump administration’s family separation policy, continues to make clear that the administration’s mission hasn’t changed. He told reporters Wednesday that ICE would prioritize public safety threats, but that if someone is in the country illegally they’re not “off the table” and that the president “fully intends to achieve mass deportations.”

Rep. Esther Agbaje, a DFL member whose district covers parts of downtown and north Minneapolis, said it still feels like a far cry from “targeted enforcement.”

“It feels very indiscriminate and very broad,” she said. “And I think a lot of people are just very worried that they could meet an agent, whether they’re out observing or whether they’re actually just out doing their daily business and something could happen to them.