White House Border Czar Tom Homan held his first press conference in Minneapolis on Thursday.
President Donald Trump dispatched Homan to oversee federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. The Thursday briefing, held at the recently besieged Bishop Whipple Federal Building, followed recent controversies stemming from highly organized activist protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Homan addressed the need for adjustments amid public backlash and unrest. He acknowledged that no agency is perfect, nor is the execution of any mission.
“I’m not here because the federal government has carried its mission out perfectly,” he stated.
WATCH Tom Homan Press Conference in Minneapolis https://t.co/pKKNC6M5W5
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Emphasizing that agents who fail to act professionally would be “dealt with,” Homan confirmed that ICE and Customs and Border Protection are developing a plan for an eventual drawdown of federal forces in Minnesota.
The drawdown, however, will depend on cooperation from state and local officials, especially regarding access to criminal aliens in local custody.
“This is common-sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said, adding, “We will conduct targeted enforcement operations. Targeted—what we have done for decades.”
Stressing his commitment to the administration’s immigration priorities while calling for de-escalation, Homan clarified that ICE is neither backing down nor surrendering.
“We are not surrendering the President’s mission in immigration enforcement. Let’s make that clear,” Homan declared, vowing to stay “until the problem is gone.”
While expressing concerns over violence, Homan also reiterated prior warnings to Minnesota leaders, calling for an end to the hate, hostile rhetoric and dangerous threats—adding there will be zero tolerance for assaults on officers or interference with operations.
According to Homan, meetings with Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have been productive despite disagreements.
