Trump Halts Controversial Immigration Crackdown After Protests

The United States “border czar” Tom Homan announced Thursday that a monthslong immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota will be halted after President Donald Trump’s approval.

It would mark an end to a crackdown that sparked widespread protests and resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens.

The decision followed political backlash after anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot during the operation.

Trump approved Homan’s proposal to end what officials called “Operation Metro Surge.”

“I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said in a statement.

The operation, which focused on the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, deployed approximately 3,000 immigration officers at its peak.

Initially led by Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino, oversight transferred to Homan on January 26 following mounting criticism of the deadly shootings.

On February 4, Homan announced the withdrawal of 700 federal law enforcement personnel from the region, citing increased cooperation from local sheriffs who agreed to detain suspected undocumented immigrants in county jails.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were reported to have arrested more than 4,000 individuals during the sweeps.

While the Trump administration characterized those detained as “dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” reports said many of them had no criminal records. Among those detained were children and U.S. citizens.

“The surge is leaving Minneapolis safer. I’ll say it again, it’s less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said.

The Department of Homeland Security said its officers arrested thousands of “criminal illegal aliens” during Operation Metro Surge.