Feds say drawdown in Minnesota is contingent on local cooperation. Will it happen?

Border czar Tom Homan said a drawdown of federal forces in Minnesota could happen soon, but only if agreements with state and local officials are in place.

Homan says talks with state and local leaders have been productive, though they don't agree on everything.

The main sticking point: local jails cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. So, what does that mean, and will it actually happen?

"The withdrawal of law enforcement resources here is dependent upon cooperation," Homan said. "As we see that cooperation happen, then the redeployment will happen."

While the state has been honoring ICE detainers all along, policies at local jails vary.

WCCO's investigative team found some counties — Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca and Mille Lacs — had already agreed to help ICE, like, for example, by serving warrants inside jails. 

Plus, Crow Wing, Freeborn, Kandiyohi and Sherburne counties house detainees for the feds.

But at other facilities, like the state's largest in Hennepin County, and in Ramsey County, too, cooperation is limited. They don't routinely allow ICE access. WCCO reached out to both sheriffs to ask what, if anything, is changing.

In a lengthy statement, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said any real change in jail cooperation "must come through clear statewide policy direction and legislation," not individual county decisions. The office reiterated it is focused on "apprehending violent criminals."

This week, Minnesota Sheriffs' Association Executive Director James Stuart met with Homan to discuss solutions. Stuart said he's feeling cautiously optimistic and wants the conversation to continue.