The move comes as protests and political pressure mount over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area.
The deployment of Homan, a former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was confirmed by the White House on Monday. Trump said Homan had “not been involved” in previous operations in Minnesota but “knows and likes many of the people there,” and would oversee ongoing immigration enforcement efforts known as Operation Metro Surge.
According to a senior official, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who had been a central figure in the state’s federal response, will leave Minnesota and return to his former post along the U.S. Mexico border. Some agents deployed under his command are also expected to depart.
The Trump administration’s heightened immigration activity in Minnesota was ordered earlier this month, but it quickly drew intense public scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by federal agents.
One of the victims, Alex Pretti, a 37‑year‑old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents during clashes in Minneapolis, an incident that was widely captured on bystander video and raised questions about the circumstances under which force was used. The first fatal shooting earlier in January involved Renée Good, another American citizen who was also killed by a federal agent, a case that sparked nationwide protests and legal challenges to the federal presence in the state.
Trump’s decision to send Homan reflects efforts to manage political fallout as bipartisan calls grow for deeper investigations into the shootings and the broader enforcement strategy. Republican leaders including gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel dropped out of races in protest, and some lawmakers have demanded independent reviews of how immigration policy is being implemented.
The president also spoke by phone with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday, striking a notably more conciliatory tone than in earlier public exchanges. Officials from both sides described the discussions as constructive, a shift from weeks of sharply critical remarks about federal tactics.
Trump’s broader immigration policy and the surge of federal agents have become highly controversial, contributing to a drop in public approval. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that just 39 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of immigration a record low for his presidency as criticism intensifies over the approach in Minneapolis.
The legal question of the federal crackdown is also before the courts. A federal judge is weighing arguments from Minnesota officials seeking to curtail elements of the immigration operation, and the state has pressed for more local control over investigative processes and oversight amid the unrest.
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