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Top officials vow to change operation after killing of US citizens, but Trump says no ‘refuge’ mission.
Published on January 29, 2026
Tom Homan, United States President Donald Trump’s border czar, has pledged to overhaul immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, but maintains that Trump has not “surrendered” on his mission.
Speaking at a news conference from the Midwestern state in the wake of two killings of US citizens by immigration enforcement officials this month, Homan promised a permanent presence and more sophisticated enforcement operations.
Still, he largely blamed the recent surge on the former administration of US President Joe Biden and the policies of local authorities, saying more cooperation would lead to less resentment.
“I’m going to wait until the problem is over,” Homan told reporters Thursday, adding that the Trump administration had promised to continue targeting individuals who pose “public safety threats and national security threats.”
“We will conduct targeted enforcement operations. Targeting is what we’ve done for decades,” Homan said. “When we hit the road, we know who we’re looking for.”
While Homan has portrayed a business-as-usual approach, immigration observers say the administration has used dragnet tactics in an effort to meet sky-high detention quotas.
State and local law enforcement officials last week detailed that several of their off-duty officers were randomly stopped and asked for their documents. He noted that all those stopped were people of color.
On the campaign trail, Trump promised to target only “criminals,” but shortly after taking office, a White House spokesman said he believed undocumented immigrants in the country were committing crimes.
Homan was sent by Trump to replace Greg Bovino, the top Border Patrol agent sent to the state as part of a massive enforcement operation that has drawn widespread protests.
On January 7, Renee Nicole Goode was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis. Last week, Alex Pretty was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents.
More to come…