U.S. border czar Tom Homan on Thursday said federal immigration enforcement agencies are working on a plan to reduce their massive presence in Minnesota, while broadly acknowledging problems with the Trump administration's activities there.
"I'm not here because the federal government has carried its mission out perfectly," Homan said at a press conference in Minneapolis, where an aggressive surge in federal deportation efforts has stoked major civil unrest.
Homan said he and President Donald Trump, "along with others in the administration, have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made."
Trump on Monday sent Homan to Minneapolis to manage U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's operations. The announcement came two days after federal agents killed a second U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, in the city during altercations that were caught on camera.
Homan on Thursday said he is in conversation with state and local officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
"This is common sense cooperation that allows to draw down on the number of people we have here. Yes, I said it, draw down the number of people here," Homan said.
ICE and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency are "working on a drawdown plan," he said.
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
