Trump agrees to ‘look into’ pulling some ICE agents out of Minnesota, says Walz’s office
Table of Contents
- 1. Trump agrees to ‘look into’ pulling some ICE agents out of Minnesota, says Walz’s office
- 2. The day so far
- 3. Department of justice fights court order requiring federal agents to preserve evidence in Alex Pretti’s death
- 4. White House insists that Trump supports second amendment rights
- 5. Noem still has Trump’s ‘utmost confidence and trust’ and continues to oversee DHS, says White House
- 6. Trump calls on Congress to pass legislation ending sanctuary cities
- 7. White House says CBP ‘won’t be needed’ in Minnesota if Walz and Grey comply with anti-immigration measures
- 8. What are the conditions under which Trump might decide to withdraw ICE agents from Minnesota?
- 9. Trump Considers ICE Agent Withdrawal from minnesota following Walz Discussions
- 10. The Core of the Dispute: State Concerns & Federal Authority
- 11. Trump’s Response & What “Looking Into” Means
- 12. Potential Scenarios: What Could a Withdrawal Look Like?
- 13. Historical Context: ICE Operations in Minnesota
- 14. Impact on Minnesota Communities
- 15. Further Developments & Ongoing Monitoring
We have more on the phone call that took place today between Donald Trump and Minnesota governor Tim Waltzwhich we covered per Trump’s perspective earlier.
According to a statement from Walz’s office, the two held a “productive” call where the president “agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals”.
Trump also agreed to talk to the Department of Homeland Security “about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigationas would ordinarily be the case”, the statement says.
Per my colleague Hugo LowellTrump’s call with Walz comes amid widening public backlash to the aggressive immigration operation in Minnesota, which could be compounded with further bad news if a federal judge finds as early as today that Operation Metro Surge was broadly illegal.
Key events
The day so far
Good afternoon and thank you for reading our live coverage today.
Most of Monday’s political news stems from the aftermath of Alex Pretti’s death at the hands of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this weekend. State officials are trying to stop Donald Trump’s deployment of 3000 immigration agents to Minneapolis. Some local law enforcement are claiming that the feds are already blocking investigation of Pretti’s killing.
Here is a quick recap of where things stand.
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Two federal judges are weighing cases that involve the legality of federal agents’ activity in Minneapolis. One case, which was argued this morning, challenged the legality of this surge. Another case, which will be argued at 2 pm local time, involves local officials’ claims that federal agents are getting in the way of their investigation of Pretti’s death.
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Donald Trump is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota on Monday night. “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 president said in a Truth Social post.
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Chris Madelan up-and-coming Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota, dropped out of the race because of the GOP’s “stated retribution on the citizens of our state.” In what the Minnesota Star Tribune described as a “stunning exit,” Madel also said: “United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong.” That Madel said this is, in fact, stunning: He provided legal counsel to Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who earlier this month shot and killed Renee Good.
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Chuck SchumerSenate Democratic leader, ramped up his request to separate Department of Homeland Security funding from a six-bill package. “Senate Democrats have made clear we are ready to quickly advance the five appropriations bills separately from the DHS funding bill before the January 30th deadline,” Schumer said in a statement. “The responsibility to prevent a partial government shutdown is on Leader Thune and Senate Republicans… If Leader Thune puts those five bills on the floor this week, we can pass them right away. If not, Republicans will again be responsible for another government shutdown.”
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office said in a statement that he and Trump had a “productive” phone call where the president “agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals”. In the statement, Walz’s team said Trump agreed to talk with the Department of Homeland Security about making sure the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to investigate.
Shri Popat
In Maine, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested “more than 200 illegal aliens” in the past five days, assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Guardian in a statement.
Once again, DHS said that it was targeting the “worst of the worst” but highlighted the same four arrests of immigrants with criminal convictions that it shared when the immigration enforcement operation started last week in the Pine Tree state.
Department of justice fights court order requiring federal agents to preserve evidence in Alex Pretti’s death
Trump administration officials are fighting a court order issued late Saturday that requires federal agents to preserve evidence in Alex Pretti’s death.
The temporary restraining order stemmed from a request from the Minnesota bureau of criminal apprehension (MBCA) and Hennepin county attorney’s office. They alleged that feds had stymied their investigative efforts of Pretti’s death at the hands of federal agents.
Trump’s justice department claimed in court papers that they “fail to establish that they will be irreparably harmed absent a temporary restraining order”.
They claim that federal agents “are already obligated to preserve the evidence at issue here under their own policies”.
They contend that the FBI gathered evidence from the scene of Pretti’s death “using appropriate collection and handling procedures, and that evidence is currently preserved and stored in a secure evidence room at the Minneapolis field office”.
“The evidence is being preserved; nothing has been destroyed or altered. [Customs and Border Protection] has preserved all relevant body-worn camera footage from the incident and will do so for 75 years.” They also said that ICE was in possession of “limited evidence and follows stringent requirements for the documentation, retention, and accountability of its investigative records and evidence”.
The justice department insists that Minnesota and Minneapolis officials don’t have a right to steer the feds’ evidence-handling procedures, “particularly procedures involving an immigration-enforcement incident”.
A court hearing on the TRO is scheduled for 2pm local time.
White House insists that Trump supports second amendment rights
Leavitt says, “The president supports the second amendment rights of law abiding American citizens. Absolutely.”
She goes on to caveat this by repeating the administration’s suggestions that Alex Prettiwho was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, was at fault. [A reminder that Pretti had a gun on his person but video footage shows he was holding his phone, not a weapon, when he was confronted by law enforcement.]
Leavitt says:
There has been no greater supporter or defender of the right to bear arms than President Donald J Trump. So while Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, Americans do not have a constitutional right to impede lawful immigration enforcement operations. And as any gun owner knows that when you are carrying a weapon, when you are bearing arms and you are confronted by law enforcement, you are raising the assumption of risk, and the risk of a force being used against you. And again, that’s unfortunately what took place on Saturday.
Leavitt is asked how many shots were fired, how many guns were discharged, and whether Alex Pretti’s gun went off or only the federal agents’ guns.
She says the investigation is ongoing and includes interviews with the agents involved.
Noem still has Trump’s ‘utmost confidence and trust’ and continues to oversee DHS, says White House
Leavitt is asked if Tom Homan’s deployment to Minnesota should be taken as a sign that Trump is “dissatisfied” with the officials on the ground who handled the incident.
Leavitt says, “No,” adding that Kristi Noem “still has the [president’s] utmost confidence and trust” and says Noem is continuing to oversee the Department of Homeland Security and immigration enforcement across the country.
Trump calls on Congress to pass legislation ending sanctuary cities
Trump is calling on Congress to “immediately pass legislation ending sanctuary cities once and for all”, Leavitt says.
White House says CBP ‘won’t be needed’ in Minnesota if Walz and Grey comply with anti-immigration measures
“That’s why President Trump spoke with Governor Walz directly this morning, and he has outlined a clear and simple path to restoring law and order in Minnesota,” Leavitt says.
Number one, governor Wallace, Mayor Frey and all Democrat leaders should turn over all criminal illegal aliens currently incarcerated in their prisons and jails to federal authorities along with any illegal aliens with active warrants or known criminal histories for immediate deportation.
Number two, state and local law enforcement must agree to turn over all illegal aliens who are arrested by local police.
And then thirdly, local police must assist federal law enforcement in apprehending and detaining illegal aliens who are wanted for crimes, especially violent crimes.
If Governor Walz and Mayor Frey implement these common sense, cooperative measuresthat I will add, have already been implemented in nearly every single other state across the country, Customs and Border Protection will not be needed to support Ice on the ground in Minnesota.
Leavitt goes on to accuse Walz and Frey of “using their platforms to encourage leftwing agitators to stalk, record, confront and obstruct federal officers who are just trying to lawfully perform their duties”.
This, she claims, “has created dangerous situations, threatening both these officers and the general public and Minnesotans alike”.
“This is precisely what unfolded in Minneapolis on Saturday morning,” she adds.
“But let’s be clear about the circumstances which led to that moment on Saturday,” Leavitt goes on.
This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota for weeks. Governor Walz and the mayor, Jacob Frey, and other elected Democrats were spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers who are risking their lives daily to remove the worst criminal, illegal aliens from our streets.
Leavitt says Saturday’s [fatal] shooting [of Alex Pretti] remains under active investigation by the FBI, homeland security and customs border officials.
“The administration is reviewing everything with respect to the shooting, and we will let that investigation play out,” she says.
What are the conditions under which Trump might decide to withdraw ICE agents from Minnesota?
Trump Considers ICE Agent Withdrawal from minnesota following Walz Discussions
Following discussions with Minnesota Governor tim Walz, former President Donald Trump has agreed to “look into” the potential withdrawal of some Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents currently operating within the state. This development, reported by Governor Walz’s office on January 26, 2026, marks a significant shift in the ongoing debate surrounding federal immigration enforcement and states’ rights. The situation centers on concerns raised by Minnesota officials regarding the scope and impact of ICE operations within their jurisdiction.
The friction between Minnesota and federal immigration authorities isn’t new. For years,state and local leaders have voiced concerns about the impact of ICE enforcement on communities,especially regarding the separation of families and the chilling effect on immigrant populations seeking essential services.
* Resource Allocation: Walz’s office specifically highlighted concerns about the allocation of federal resources, suggesting that ICE’s presence in Minnesota may not be proportionate to the actual immigration-related challenges faced by the state.
* Community Trust: A key argument revolves around the erosion of trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. Concerns have been raised that aggressive ICE enforcement tactics discourage immigrants from reporting crimes or cooperating with investigations.
* State Laws & Policies: Minnesota has historically adopted policies aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants, including limitations on local law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE. This has created a tension with the federal government’s broader enforcement priorities.
Trump’s Response & What “Looking Into” Means
Trump’s agreement to “look into” the matter is a nuanced response. While not a commitment to immediate withdrawal, it signals a willingness to engage in dialog and potentially reassess the current deployment of ICE agents.
Sources close to trump indicate that his decision was influenced by several factors:
- Political Considerations: Minnesota is a key swing state, and addressing the concerns of state leaders could be seen as a politically strategic move.
- Shifting Enforcement Priorities: The current administration has signaled a potential shift in immigration enforcement priorities, focusing more on border security and criminal aliens.
- Governor Walz’s Direct Appeal: Governor Walz reportedly made a direct appeal to Trump during a recent private meeting, outlining the specific concerns of Minnesota communities.
Potential Scenarios: What Could a Withdrawal Look Like?
The scope of any potential ICE agent withdrawal remains unclear. Several scenarios are being considered:
* targeted Reduction: A reduction in the number of ICE agents focused on routine interior enforcement, while maintaining a presence for addressing serious criminal activity.
* re-allocation of Resources: shifting ICE resources from Minnesota to states with more pressing immigration enforcement needs, as resolute by federal authorities.
* Increased Collaboration: Enhanced collaboration between ICE and state/local law enforcement agencies, with a focus on joint operations targeting specific criminal threats.
* Memorandum of Understanding: A formal agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities of ICE agents operating in Minnesota, addressing concerns about openness and accountability.
Historical Context: ICE Operations in Minnesota
ICE’s presence in Minnesota has been a subject of debate for over a decade. Increased enforcement activity under previous administrations led to a surge in deportations, sparking protests and legal challenges.
* 2016-2020: During the Trump administration, ICE significantly increased its enforcement efforts in Minnesota, leading to a substantial rise in deportations, particularly of individuals with no serious criminal records.
* Legal Challenges: Several lawsuits were filed challenging ICE’s tactics, alleging violations of due process and civil rights.
* Community Organizing: Grassroots organizations emerged to provide legal assistance and support to immigrant communities affected by ICE enforcement.
Impact on Minnesota Communities
Any change in ICE’s presence will have a significant impact on Minnesota communities. A reduction in enforcement activity could alleviate fears within immigrant populations and encourage greater cooperation with law enforcement. However, concerns remain about the potential for increased crime and the disruption of ongoing investigations.
* Economic impact: Reduced enforcement could benefit the state’s economy by allowing undocumented workers to continue contributing to the workforce.
* social Impact: Increased trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities could lead to improved public safety and a more inclusive society.
* Political Fallout: Any decision regarding ICE’s presence is highly likely to be met with strong reactions from both sides of the political spectrum.
Further Developments & Ongoing Monitoring
The situation remains fluid. Governor Walz’s office has indicated that it will continue to engage with federal authorities to ensure that any changes to ICE’s presence are implemented in a responsible and transparent manner. Archyde.com will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates as they become available.
