President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is dispatching his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota to oversee immigration enforcement operations, escalating federal involvement in the state amid growing outrage over the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti by federal agents.
“I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.”
The move comes as the administration faces mounting pressure from state officials, lawmakers and civil rights groups over the killing of Pretti, 37, during a confrontation with federal immigration officers. Video reviewed appears to show Pretti holding a cellphone — not a firearm — while recording agents moments before he was shot.
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Bypassing the chain of command
By placing Homan in charge of ICE operations in Minnesota, Trump is bypassing the usual command structure within the Department of Homeland Security, where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino have been overseeing enforcement efforts.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Homan “will be managing ICE operations on the ground in Minnesota to continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
Trump said Homan will report directly to him.
Trump strikes softer tone than aides
Trump’s decision follows a Wall Street Journal interview Sunday in which he declined to say whether the agent who killed Pretti acted appropriately — a notable departure from the unequivocal defenses offered by senior administration officials.
“We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination,” Trump told the Journal.
That measured language contrasts sharply with statements from Noem, Bovino and FBI Director Kash Patel, all of whom have publicly defended the agents’ actions. Administration officials have said Pretti “brandished” a firearm and carried multiple magazines with the intent to harm officers — claims that state and local officials dispute.
Minnesota authorities say Pretti was lawfully carrying a gun with a valid concealed carry permit. The video evidence does not appear to show him drawing the weapon.
Nevertheless, Trump echoed criticism of Pretti for being armed at a protest.
“I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it,” Trump said. “But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also.”
The administration has faced criticism from Democrats and some Republicans for what opponents describe as blaming the victim of the shooting.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said the credibility of ICE and DHS “is at stake” and called for a full joint federal and state investigation. Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen has called for Noem’s impeachment, a move the administration dismissed.
“DHS enforces the laws Congress passes, period,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in response. “If certain members don’t like those laws, changing them is literally their job.”
The National Rifle Association issued a rare statement urging restraint, saying “responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
Trump also suggested in the Journal interview that federal agents could eventually be withdrawn from Minnesota.
“At some point we will leave,” he said, without providing a timeline. “We’ve done a phenomenal job.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office confirmed Monday that Walz had what it described as a “productive” phone call with Trump earlier in the day.
“The Governor made the case that we need impartial investigations of the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, and that we need to reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota,” the governor’s office said. According to the statement, Trump agreed to speak with DHS about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension can conduct an independent investigation and to “look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota.”
Trump said Walz had requested cooperation and that the two appeared to be “on a similar wavelength,” adding that Walz was “happy” that Homan would be heading to the state.
Noem welcomed the announcement, calling Homan’s arrival “good news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis.”
“His experience and insight will help us remove even more public safety threats and violent criminal illegal aliens off the streets of Minneapolis,” Noem wrote on X, again urging Minnesota leaders to cooperate with federal authorities.
A White House official said Noem will “continue to lead the Department of Homeland Security with the full trust and confidence of the President,” while describing Homan as “uniquely positioned to drop everything and focus solely on Minnesota.”
As investigations into Pretti’s death continue, Minnesota officials and federal authorities appear headed toward further legal and political confrontation over the scope, tactics and oversight of the administration’s immigration crackdown.
