Homan Says Minnesota's Operation Metro Surge Will End

President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, announced Thursday that Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota is ending.

The Announcement: Homan, during a news conference in Minneapolis, said, "As a result of our efforts here Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals," and "I have proposed and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude." Homan praised Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) for helping to de-escalate tensions recently and for increased collaboration between federal and local law enforcement. "We've seen a big change here in the last couple of weeks," and "it's all good changes," Homan said. The cooperation between federal law enforcement and county jails is a main factor for the release of several agents, with Homan reiterating how it is safer and more efficient when these "public safety threats" are arrested in jails rather than on the streets.

The Numbers: Last week, Homan announced the immediate withdrawal of 700 federal immigration officers, with the roughly 2,000 remaining to begin leaving shortly. "Federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until their work is done," according to Homan.

The Results: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that since Operation Metro Surge began, "more than 4,000 arrests of illegal aliens including murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists," have taken place. Homan also said that agents during the operation "located 3,364 unaccompanied alien children — children that the last Administration lost and weren't even looking for."

"Unprecedented Federal Incursion": Some outlets on the left, like the Minnesota Reformer (Left bias), pushed back on Homan's claims of success. The outlet called the operation an "unprecedented federal incursion" that led to "massive resistance" and the killing of two American citizens. The Reformer said "Since the beginning of the year, immigration agents have shot three people, killing two; racially profiled people, asking them to produce proof of legal residency; detained legal immigrants and shipped them across state lines, including young children; caused numerous car crashes; deployed chemical irritants on public school property; smashed the car windows of observers and arrested them before releasing them without charges; charged journalists and activists while stymieing investigations in federal agents, leading to an exodus of prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office."

Despite "Anti-ICE Agitators": Outlets on the right, like National Review (Lean Right), tended to highlight the results "despite overwhelming public backlash and obstruction by anti-ICE agitators." Outlets on the right also mentioned the ongoing fraud investigations and the locating of missing children, which is not often mentioned by sources on the left. The National News Desk (Right) also mentioned that both Walz and Frey have "clashed" with White House officials for "enflaming the divide in their outspoken criticisms of the immigration surge and handling of investigations into the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good."  

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