Border czar says feds will withdraw 700 law enforcement personnel from Minnesota immediately

In a post on X, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reacted to the news that 700 federal agents would leave Minneosta.

"Operation Metro Surge is not making Minnesota safer. Today's announcement is a step in the right direction, but we need a faster and larger drawdown of forces, state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution," he said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey echoed Walz in his response.

"The drawdown and body-worn cameras are a step in the right direction, but 2,000 ICE officers still here is not de-escalation. My message to the White House has been consistent - Operation Metro Surge has been catastrophic for our businesses and residents. It needs to end immediately," Frey said.

Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt says the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities has strained local law enforcement, and said her deputies have been "scapegoated" during the operation.

Witt added that the operation has led to more than $500,000 in overtime expenses for her already understaffed department.

She described the past two weeks as "exhausting" for deputies, who have been deployed around the Whipple Federal Building as protests continue.

Witt said her office has always cooperated with federal agencies on criminal investigations but draws a line at civil immigration enforcement.

"We do not do civil or immigration enforcement. We never have," she said.

Border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday morning federal authorities will "draw down" 700 law enforcement personnel in Minnesota immediately.

Homan said establishing a unified chain of command and "unprecedented cooperation" from county authorities allowed the personnel reduction.

"My goal, with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can, but that is largely contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we're seeing in the community," Homan said.

About 2,000 agents will remain in the state after the drawdown, according to Homan. Pre-surge, the number was about 150. The reduction will not include "personnel providing security and responding to hostile incidents," Homan said.

Homan said he and the president still have a goal of "mass deportations."

Officials say a surge of federal immigration enforcement has shuttered businesses, frightened residents, and harmed trust in local police, warning the effects could last for years.

A surge of federal immigration enforcement in Brooklyn Park has led to widespread business closures, frightened residents, and lasting damage to the community, according to local officials.

Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston said the presence of federal agents has caused many residents — including U.S. citizens — to stay inside out of fear, with some businesses reporting revenue drops of up to 50 percent or closing entirely. Winston compared the economic impact to the COVID pandemic, and warned the effects could last for years unless recovery efforts are made.

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Federal authorities are releasing fourth-grader Elizabeth Zuna, the first of several students detained by immigration officers in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights, the school district's superintendent said late Tuesday.

Elizabeth and her mother were "picked up by ICE on their way to school" on Jan. 6 and were being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, Zena Stenvik said in a statement. The ICE facility, which houses parents and children taken into federal custody over alleged violations of immigration law, is located in south Texas.

It wasn't clear when they would return to Minnesota due in part to a measles outbreak at the detention facility that "may require a quarantine period," Stenvik said, adding that "we do not know the status of Elizabeth's health at this time."

But, she went on to say, "We are filled with joy at the anticipation of the family when Elizabeth's father can once again be reunited with his daughter and wife."

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Border czar Tom Homan plans to give a news conference in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning.

The White House gave no details about what Homan would discuss. He plans to speak at 8 a.m.

You can watch coverage on CBS News Minnesota and WCCO's YouTube page.

In the week-and-a-half since federal immigration agents fatally shot a man in Minnesota, the state's top corrections official told CBS News there have been "conversations" with the federal government, including with people who report to White House border czar Tom Homan.

But Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said details on a possible deescalation in the state — which has been the subject of a monthslong immigration crackdown — remain "sketchy," with no signs of a drawdown of federal forces yet. 

Homan said last week he is preparing to reduce the thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents in the Minneapolis area at some point, but the exact timeline is not clear.

Schnell also said he remains "deeply concerned" about tactics that are still being reported, including agents appearing at bus stops and entering apartment buildings without a clear, targeted list of priorities.

"We don't want roving bands of agents going into apartment buildings and asking people for their papers," Schnell said. "We want a focused, targeted operation aimed at people who actually pose a risk to public safety."

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The resulting turmoil of Operation Metro Surge has left its mark on businesses and events across the state and in Minneapolis in particular.

According to Meet Minneapolis, a January survey sent to its partners found 80% of respondents have experienced canceled, postponed or reduced bookings or sales in the wake of the ICE surge. The tourism organization said its 101 survey responses include restaurants, hotels, retail shops, service providers, arts and event organizers, among others.

The respondents indicated that the federal activity is being nearly universally felt, with 90% of partners saying they've been impacted, 90% saying fear or stress was affecting operations and 72% reporting staffing absenteeism, Meet Minneapolis said.

"We know that various neighborhoods and businesses are seeing some of those impacts as it relates to visitor traffic," said Courtney Ries, senior vice president of destination, branding and strategy for Meet Minneapolis.

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The Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have released the findings of a report examining last month's fatal shootings in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers.  

"Let's be clear: the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti could have been prevented, and they should both still be alive," wrote Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-California. "President Trump, [Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem, and [the U.S. Department of Homeland Security] have lied over and over again and are now trying to cover up the truth. The Trump Administration needs to be held accountable."  

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Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested some activists who were trailing their vehicles on Tuesday in Minneapolis, a sign that tensions have not eased since the departure last week of a high-profile commander.

At least one person who had an anti-ICE message on clothing was handcuffed while face-down on the ground. An Associated Press photographer witnessed the arrests.

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Brent and Luke Ganger, the brothers of Renee Good, are testifying Tuesday afternoon at a public Congressional forum concerning "the violent tactics and disproportionate use of force by agents of the Department of Homeland Security."  

Below is a transcript of the opening statements made by the Ganger brothers.

Luke Ganger

I was talking to my 4-year-old last week, when she noticed I was not doing well. I had to come here today and talk to some important people. She knows that her aunt died and that somebody caused it to happen.

She told me that there are no bad people, and that everyone makes mistakes. She has Nay's spirit.

The deep distress our family feels because of Nay's loss is in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change.

In the last few weeks, our family took some consolation thinking that perhaps Nay's death would bring about change in our country. And it has not.

The completely surreal scenes taking place on the streets of Minneapolis are beyond explanation. This is not just a bad day or a rough week or isolated incidents. These encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives — including ours — forever. And I still don't know how to explain to my 4-year-old what these agents are doing when we pass by.

Our family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community in Minneapolis and from people across the country and around the world. 

The prayers and words of support have truly brought us comfort and it is meaningful that these sentiments have come from people of all colors, faiths and ideals. That is a perfect reflection of Renee, who carried peace, patience and love for others wherever she went.

Our family is a very American blend. We vote differently, and we rarely completely agree on the finer details of what it means to be a citizen of this country. We attend various churches and some not at all. And despite those differences, we have always treated each other with love and respect, and we've gotten even closer during this very divided time in our country.

And we hope that our family can be even a small example to others, not to let political ideals divide us, to be good like Renee. 

But the most important thing we can do today is to help this panel and our country understand who Nay is, and what a beautiful American we have lost: the sister, a daughter, mother, a partner and a friend.

Brent Ganger

I'd like to share some thoughts from the eulogy that I gave on my sister's behalf this past Saturday.

When I think of Renee, I think of dandelions and sunlight. Dandelions don't ask permission to grow. They push through cracks in the sidewalk, through hard soil, to places where you don't expect beauty, and suddenly there they are — bright, alive, unapologetically hopeful. 

That was Renee, and sunlight, warm, steady, lifegiving. Because when she walked in a room, things felt lighter, even on cloudy days.

Renee had a way of showing up in the world that made you believe things were going to be OK. Not because she ignored the hardship, but because she chose optimism anyway. She chose to look for what was good, what was possible and what was worth loving.

Nay loved fiercely, openly and without hesitation. As a mother, Renee poured herself into love, the kind of love that shows up every day, that sacrifices quietly, that cheers loudly, that believes deeply.

Her children were and are her heart, walking around outside her body, and she made sure they felt safe, valued and endlessly loved.

As a sister, she was constant. Someone you could lean on, laugh with or just sitting in silence beside. She had a way of making you feel understood even when you didn't have the words yet. She didn't just listen, she saw you. She believed in second chances. She believed tomorrow could be better than today. She believed that kindness mattered, and she lived that belief.

Even when things were hard, Nay looked for the light, and if she couldn't find it, she became the light for somebody else. It was the excessively ordinary things that made Nay so beautiful.

There are billions of people who now know her name, and it would be so easy to fall into the false belief that great heroic things are required to overcome difficult things in the world.

But as Tolkien wrote, "it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love." That's why the image of dandelions feels so right. People try to pull them up, overlook them, dismiss them — but they keep coming back stronger, brighter, spreading seeds of hope everywhere they land.

Renee planted those seeds in all of us, in her children, in her family, in friends, co-workers and people who maybe didn't even realize they needed her light at the time.

And sunlight, sunlight doesn't ask for recognition, it just gives, it warms, it nurtures, it helps things grow. Renee did that for us. She helped us grow. She helped us believe in ourselves. She helped us see the good even when life felt heavy.

Renee is not gone from us. She's in the light that finds us on hard days. She's in the resilience we didn't know we had until we needed it. She's in the laughter, the memories, the love that continues to grow. 

Like dandelions, like sunlight, and like Renee.

The Latino Economic Development Center says it is launching a grant for Latino-owned small businesses that are struggling amid Operation Metro Surge.

Small businesses on St. Paul's east side have faced reduced foot traffic and revenue loss because workers and community members are afraid to leave their homes, the development center says.

Grant funds can be used to help with payroll, rent, loans and other operating expenses. Though it's intended for businesses on St. Paul's east side, the development center says it's encouraging others to apply as well, as they're looking for other opportunities to support businesses across the state.

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Class is back in session Tuesday for students at Columbia Heights Public Schools, one day after a racially and politically motivated bomb threat forced them to close for the day. 

Their superintendent said their focus is squarely on returning home four other students in federal custody. 

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison joined school leaders Tuesday to discuss the impact of federal detention on children and families in the state.

The news conference came two days after Twin Cities 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Texas following a court-ordered mandate from U.S. District Judge Fred Biery.

Walz noted that Liam Ramos was held in what the U.S. Department of Homeland Security dubs "tender age detention centers."

"That is just so wrong and just such a strange usage of words of how they're trying to justify something that cannot be justified," Walz said.

The governor also said it's unknown how many other Minnesota children have been placed in similar facilities.

"We don't know how many others are in the same situation that didn't get a photo that went viral," Walz said. "These are our children that were taken from us, sent to Texas in the middle of the night, put in inhumane conditions and then forcing judges to tell them to … bring them back home."

He summarized his argument with a social media post Tuesday, saying, "Minnesota needs to know the number of children in federal detention, who they are, and where they're being held." 

Ellison highlighted statements Judge Biery made in his ruling, calling Operation Metro Surge "ill-conceived and incompetently implemented," and the Trump administration's "perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency."

"This is a judge who's prone to mild language, even in strong, even in serious cases," Ellison said.

Also present at Tuesday's conference was Fridley Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Lewis, who said her outspokenness against the operation in a recent New York Times piece and its burgeoning focus on schools has led to retaliation that she says is "escalating every single day."

Lewis said she has "personally been followed twice by ICE agents," and "multiple" school board members have spotted federal vehicles parked outside their homes.

"I think we can all agree that none of us want violent criminals who are not here legally in our neighborhoods," Lewis said. "But I also ask, I believe we all agree that we do not want school children terrorized, families afraid or our staff prevented from attending and working in our schools because of sheer and present terror."

Renee Good's brothers will be among those who testify at a hearing in Washington, D.C., Tuesday afternoon as part of an inquiry into federal agents and their use of force.

The hearing, which starts at 2 p.m., is organized by two Democrats: Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Rep. Robert Garcia of California. 

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As the immigration crackdown continues in Minnesota, Nicole Cleland, a resident of Richfield, Minnesota, believes federal agents identified her through facial recognition software. 

Cleland has actively protested against the deployment of federal agents in the Twin Cities. She says she's a trained observer, following officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Customs and Border Protection. Her account is detailed in a lawsuit filed alongside other observers against the Department of Homeland Security 

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Intensive care nurses immediately doubted the word of federal immigration officers when they arrived at a Minneapolis hospital with a Mexican immigrant who had broken bones in his face and skull.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initially claimed Alberto Castañeda Mondragón had tried to flee while handcuffed and "purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall," according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release.

But staff members at Hennepin County Medical Center determined that could not possibly account for the fractures and bleeding throughout the 31-year-old's brain, said three nurses familiar with the case.

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A Minnesota congresswoman got her first look inside the Whipple Federal Building, calling the conditions heartbreaking and unacceptable.

The building is a hub for federal agents in town and is supposed to be a temporary home for people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"There were people in leg shackles. There were cold cement floors, no beds, no blankets; they did have showers, but told me no one had ever taken a shower," Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison said. 

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