ICE surge changed little between feds and Minnesota's largest jails
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Observers record the scene of a traffic accident in St. Paul involving federal immigration agents. Photo: Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images
In a standoff with Minnesota, the Trump administration blinked.
The big picture: President Trump exhausted huge amounts of political capital on an operation that killed two American citizens, caused "catastrophic" damage to businesses and schools, and terrorized immigrant communities.
- As federal immigration officials announced Thursday they will wind down their mass deportation blitz in Minnesota, it's not clear whether state or local officials conceded any policy changes to trigger the federal retreat.
Friction point: The same polls that show the Trump administration's crackdown has been deeply unpopular in Minnesota and nationwide also show that most voters want at least some level of cooperation between local and federal law enforcement on immigration.
State of play: Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, said Thursday he had secured commitments from local jails "throughout the state" to hand over immigration suspects while still in custody.
- "I have not met one county jail that says no to us," Homan told reporters.
Yes, but: Homan didn't say which agencies had agreed to deeper cooperation.
- The state's largest jail operator — the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, which has long ignored ICE's requests to hold immigration suspects or inform agents of their pending release — issued a statement saying that its policies "remain unchanged."
- "We have not made any changes to the policies that guide our engagement with ICE," a spokesperson for Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise told Axios. "We remain dedicated to collaborating with all our law enforcement and justice partners."
After Axios asked which local agencies had committed to cooperate, a White House spokesperson referred Axios to Homan's statement on X.
What they're saying: "My take was they knew they needed to get out of here — but in very Trumpian fashion, they needed to save face," Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference.
- In a statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty demanded answers "about the exact nature of the cooperation with ICE supposedly promised by local and state officials."
Between the lines: Civil liberties groups have been skeptical about how counties could honor ICE's requests for more help without risking getting sued.
- Under Minnesota law, jails can't hold a person longer than they otherwise would solely because of an ICE detainer.
- State prisons have long cooperated with ICE — but with inmates' release dates set far in advance, immigration agents have an easier time knowing when to show up to take custody.
Zoom in: Homan said federal agencies would "strategically place" officers to respond quickly to sheriffs' requests.
- Rural counties have said they can't hold suspects long enough for a Twin Cities-based agent to arrive and take custody.
What we're watching: Many local officials were on alert that the drawdown announcement is simply a Trump administration head-fake.
- "I'll believe it when I see it. They've lied to us at every step along the way," Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne said in a video statement. (Members of his staff said they witnessed an ICE arrest Thursday afternoon.)
What's next: Homan said the surge drawdown would continue into next week, with a "small footprint" of personnel remaining to gradually complete the handoff back to the roughly 150 agents normally stationed in Minnesota.