Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border tsar, has announced that the controversial immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota will end.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Homan said Trump approved his request to wrap up the operation. He plans to remain in Minnesota a bit longer to supervise the withdrawal and make sure everything goes smoothly.

Homan described Operation Metro Surge as a major success, saying it led to the detention of many undocumented immigrants who had committed violent crimes and were now facing deportation. However, the operation triggered protests across the country after immigration officers killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Top Minnesota and federal officials testified at a Capitol Hill hearing on Trump’s immigration policies shortly after Homan made his announcement.

Homan said Minnesota officials have managed to “greatly reduce the number of targets” for immigration enforcement, calling the entire operation a “great success.”

Authorities arrested over 4,000 undocumented immigrants during the surge, Homan said, including men convicted of rape and other serious sexual offences.

Homan stressed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has always operated in Minnesota and will continue to do so even after the surge ends.

He credited the surge’s success to unprecedented cooperation between federal agents and local law enforcement. Local officials stepped up their response to protesters whom Homan described as public safety threats. In contrast, local jails became more willing to inform ICE when they planned to release individuals the agency was tracking.

Minnesota Governor Questions What Federal Operation Left Behind

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told reporters after Homan’s announcement that he felt “cautiously optimistic” about federal agents pulling back.

“The fact of the matter is they left us with deep damage, generational trauma. They left us with economic ruin in some cases. They left us with many unanswered questions,” Walz said.

Naija News gathered that Walz plans to propose a $10 million emergency fund soon to help small businesses that claim the surge has hurt them financially.

President Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis last month following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. Homan took charge of the operation, pushing aside Greg Bovino, who had been leading it. Many people in Minneapolis had criticised Bovino for how ICE used force and what they called civil rights violations.

Democrats Push Back In Multiple Cities

Trump’s immigration crackdown has run into strong resistance in Democrat-controlled cities like Minneapolis. Activists have protested in the streets while local officials and immigrants have challenged the operations in court.

The administration pulled National Guard troops out of Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago last month, according to US Northern Command. All three cities had seen large protests against troops and immigration agents operating there. Even some Republicans questioned what happened in Minneapolis.

Senator Rand Paul told Department of Homeland Security officials at a committee hearing Thursday that reducing the street presence of federal agents was “a good sign and a good step forward.”

“I’m glad that’s happening. I think that is de-escalation,” the Kentucky Republican said.

ICE Director Defends Agency Amid Criticism

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons told the hearing that his agency is currently tracking about 1.6 million undocumented immigrants who have deportation orders in the United States. That number includes roughly 800,000 people with criminal convictions.

Lyons pushed back against lawmakers who accused the agency of failing to hold officers accountable. He said ICE has opened 37 investigations into excessive use of force since January 2025.

The debate over how immigration agents should operate has now put the federal government at risk of a partial shutdown. Congress is arguing over a funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE. Without that funding, the department will start losing money on Saturday. The department also handles emergency assistance.

Democrats want ICE to make changes, like stopping agents from wearing masks, before they’ll support the funding bill. They’re also demanding that immigration agents in Minnesota and other places reveal their identities and stop conducting searches without warrants.