The administration has shifted its Minneapolis enforcement strategy, sending Tom Homan to lead operations and announcing a drawdown of about 700 federal personnel while roughly 2,000 officers remain. CBP has moved from broad rover patrols to higher-threshold, targeted arrests carried out in coordination with ICE. Authorities are identifying thousands of targets using DHS databases and fingerprint records, and the White House says officers will still enforce federal law if additional undocumented individuals are encountered during operations.
Administration Shifts To Targeted Immigration Enforcement In Minneapolis; Tom Homan Oversees Drawdown
Feds shift to targeted immigration enforcement in Minneapolis under Homan
The Trump administration has revised its immigration enforcement approach in Minneapolis after federal agents' actions drew criticism and sparked protests, sources told Fox News. President Donald Trump dispatched border czar Tom Homan to oversee operations and recalibrate tactics amid unrest following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
New Directives and a Partial Drawdown
Homan announced an immediate reduction of roughly 700 federal personnel in Minnesota, effective Wednesday, while confirming that about 2,000 officers will remain in the state. The drawdown, he said, reflects improved cooperation with local jails and counties and is contingent on ending illegal and threatening activities directed at ICE personnel.
White House border czar Tom Homan attends a news conference in Minneapolis Jan. 29, 2026.(Reuters)
Shift From Rover Patrols To Targeted Operations
According to sources, Homan has changed how U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operates in the state. CBP has raised the threshold for arrests and moved away from broad rover patrols toward targeted operations. Under the new guidance, CBP agents are instructed not to approach people they merely suspect of being in the country illegally unless those people are identified targets; instead, CBP is to partner with ICE officers on planned arrests.
Sources also said Homan warned personnel that misconduct or overreach would have consequences. A White House official told Fox News Digital that while operations will focus on identified targets, officers will still enforce federal immigration law if they encounter additional undocumented individuals during an operation.
A federal agent prepares to depart the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building Feb. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis.
How Targets Are Identified
Fox News reported that authorities are identifying thousands of targets by cross-referencing public records with a Department of Homeland Security database. That system provides criminal and immigration histories, flags invalid documents, and records failures to appear in immigration court. Sources said fingerprint records collected when migrants previously encountered CBP have been used to match individuals arrested by local law enforcement to DHS alerts.
Local Reaction and Coordination
Minneapolis has been a flash point for confrontations between federal agents and local residents following recent shootings. City leaders strongly criticized federal actions; Mayor Jacob Frey publicly demanded that ICE leave the city after the death of Renee Good. The White House also dismissed reports of discord between Homan and senior Department of Homeland Security officials, saying federal authorities are cooperating to implement the administration's directives.
DHS had not immediately responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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