Trump Administration to Reduce Federal Workforce in Minnesota
Tom Homan, the Border Patrol chief under President Trump, announced plans to lay off hundreds of federal workers in Minnesota following what he described as “unprecedented cooperation” between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and local jails.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Homan mentioned discussions held with Governor Tim Walz (D), Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) regarding the reduction of around 700 federal positions in the state, along with efforts to enhance collaboration between ICE and local detention facilities.
Homan stated, “I’ve had productive talks with state and local officials about how to increase lawful cooperation between county jails and ICE. This is crucial to preventing public safety threats from re-entering the community.” He emphasized the significant number of counties now working with ICE, allowing for the detention of illegal immigrants before they are released into society.
“We don’t ask jails to hold individuals beyond their normal release periods. We’re not expecting local officials to act as immigration judges. There’s no requirement for them to inform us before a release,” he added.
He continued, “With this remarkable uptick in collaboration, I’ve announced we’ll be recruiting 700 law enforcement personnel starting today.”
Homan made it clear that the administration is committed to mass deportations and immigration enforcement on a daily basis. He stated that the aim is “smart law enforcement,” which he believes is integral to maintaining public safety.
The Trump administration has urged local leaders like Walz and Frey for several months to facilitate the quick custody of criminal illegal immigrants instead of allowing local law enforcement to release them into communities, necessitating subsequent efforts by ICE to locate them.
According to reports, Minnesota jails and prisons have not surrendered around 823 illegal immigrants to ICE from fiscal year 2023 up until February 6, 2025. During this timeframe, Minnesota ranked among the top ten states for releasing illegal immigrants from custody rather than transferring them to ICE.
