Announcement on Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota

In a press conference held on February 4, 2026, Tom Homan, referred to as the “Border Czar,” announced that the Trump administration will withdraw 700 federal immigration officers from Minnesota, effective immediately. He attributed this decision to “unprecedented cooperation” from local and county jails, which have started notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when inmates deemed eligible for deportation are about to be released.

“I have announced, effective immediately, we will draw down 700 people — effective today — 700 law enforcement personnel,” Homan stated.

While Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE officers will be removed, about 2,000 personnel will remain, continuing operations under a unified command through ICE.

“We have also fully integrated CBP personnel into the ICE team structure under one unified chain of command, not two chains of command. There’ll be one chain of command here,” Homan elaborated.

Homan emphasized that the cooperation from local jails has been crucial in enabling this immediate reduction. He noted significant progress in working with state and local officials, expressing optimism about further improvements in the upcoming weeks.

“We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us, now allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets,” he noted. “Unprecedented cooperation.”

This communication, according to Homan, allows for greater efficiency. He explained that instead of deploying eight to ten officers to track down a potentially dangerous individual, just one or two can take an illegal immigrant into custody.

“This frees up more officers to arrest and remove criminal aliens,” Homan said. “More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails means fewer officers on the street doing criminal operations. This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement. It’s safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien.”

“We’ve got to remember that we’ve got special agents on detail here doing the fraud investigation,” he added. “They’re not going anywhere. They’re going to finish their job.”

Reports indicate that local law enforcement in Minnesota is now notifying federal officials before eligible inmates are released, enhancing the process for ICE to take custody. However, Homan stressed that jails are not obligated to hold inmates beyond their scheduled release times.

“We are not requiring jails to hold people past their normal release time,” he stated, clarifying, “We’re not asking anyone to be an immigration officer.”