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Gov. Walz meets with Border Czar Tom Homan
Gov. Tim Walz met with Border Czar Tom Homan on Tuesday morning, who is overseeing the ICE operations after Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino is set to leave the state. FOX 9’s Karen Scullin reports.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Senior ICE official Tom Homan is taking over immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, and is making the rounds meeting with local officials about the next steps forward.
Homan is the President Donald Trump-proclaimed "Border Czar," and is effectively replacing senior Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who is set to leave the state Tuesday.
Mayor Frey, MPD Chief O’Hara meet with Tom Homan
What we know:
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara met with Homan on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Frey said the meeting was productive, and Frey’s main ask was for Operation Metro Surge to come to an end as quickly as possible.
The immigration crackdown has more than 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota. Since it launched, there have been three shootings in Minneapolis involving federal agents, two have resulted in fatalities. On Saturday, 37-year-old Alex Pretty was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration operation. On Jan. 7, Renee Good was fatally shot by ICE.
What they're saying:
Frey’s office released the following statement to FOX 9:
"I appreciated the conversation the chief and I had with Border Czar Homan. During our meeting, I reiterated that my main ask is for Operation Metro Surge to come to an end as quickly as possible. Public safety works best when it's built on community trust – not tactics that create fear or division.
"I shared with Mr. Homan the serious negative impacts this operation has had on Minneapolis and surrounding communities, as well as the strain it has placed on our local police officers. I also made it clear that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, and that we will remain focused on keeping our neighbors and streets safe. City leaders will continue to stay in conversation with Mr. Homan and his team."
Gov. Walz meets with ‘Border Czar’
Why you should care:
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also met with Homan Tuesday morning, and the messaging was similar.
Gov. Walz’s office said he reiterated to Homan the need for impartial investigations into shootings involving federal agents, and reducing the number of ICE agents in the state. The meeting had a similar tone to Walz’s phone call with President Trump on Monday.
Walz’s office released this statement after the meeting.
"Governor Walz met with Tom Homan this morning and reiterated Minnesota’s priorities: impartial investigations into the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, a swift, significant reduction in the number of federal forces in Minnesota, and an end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota. The Governor and Homan agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue and will continue working toward those goals, which the President also agreed to yesterday. The Governor tasked the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as the primary liaison to Homan to ensure these goals are met."