Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

The Department of Homeland Security will officially pull hundreds of ICE agents from Minnesota after reaching a tentative cooperation agreement with state and local officials following weeks of unrest.

Getting into it: The announcement was made by Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who confirmed that 700 immigration enforcement officials will be withdrawn from Minnesota immediately. This includes a mix of Border Patrol agents and ICE officers. Homan explained that the decision was made after evaluating the situation with safety and resource needs in mind, saying, “We had a whole team looking at what makes sense without risking officer safety and security teams, and that number is 700.” He stressed that the decision was not a retreat from the administration’s goals, stating, “We are not surrendering the president’s mission of a mass deportation operation. If we find you and you’re in the country illegally, we will deport you.”

Following the withdrawal, around 2,000 federal immigration officers will remain in Minnesota, primarily concentrated in the Twin Cities region. Homan described this as a return to a more manageable presence, closer to what he called the original “Minnesota footprint.” He credited improved cooperation with local officials for making the reduction possible, stating, “More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails means less officers on the street doing criminal operations. This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement.”

According to Homan, more than 2,400 individuals had been detained as of January 14, including 14 people with homicide convictions, 139 with assault convictions, 87 with sex offense convictions, and 28 identified gang members.

This all comes as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the move “a step in the right direction,” but added that the state needs a “faster and larger drawdown of forces.” He also demanded “faster state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution.”

Similarly, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the partial withdrawal and new body-worn camera policies are “a step in the right direction,” but stressed, “2,000 ICE officers still here is not de-escalation.” He reiterated, “Operation Metro Surge has been catastrophic for our residents and businesses. It needs to end immediately.”