The Trump administration finally seems to be taking efforts to end the fatal shootings involving ICE agents in Minnesota. After the death of two legal Minneapolis residents at the hands of federal immigration agents, the government has issued new directives for on-ground officials.
According to an internal memo quoted by Reuters, Marcos Charles, a top ICE official, has directed agents not to engage with “agitators.” In an email sent to the officers, Charles wrote, “DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS.”
The official acknowledged that the fight between the locals and the agents was only making the situation worse. He wrote, “It serves no purpose other than inflaming the situation. No one is going to convince the other. The only communication should be the officers issuing commands.”
🇺🇸 ICE officers in Minnesota just received new orders explicitly telling them “DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS” during operations – the only communication should be officers issuing commands.
The internal guidance says engaging with protesters “serves no purpose… pic.twitter.com/Qtf3KtNtmh
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 29, 2026
According to the new directive, ICE agents will be provided with megaphones, which can be used to issue commands to the public during an immigration crackdown. However, the memo does not reveal what steps would be taken if someone refuses to follow the agents’ orders.
There is some respite for immigrants as well. The new guidance states that the officers should only arrest immigrants with a history of arrests or convictions.
This is in contrast to the earlier order, where any immigrant could be detained irrespective of their criminal history.
The email read, “We are moving to targeted enforcement of aliens with a criminal history. This includes arrests, not just convictions. ALL TARGETS MUST HAVE A CRIMINAL NEXUS.”
The guidance comes after a month of protests in Minnesota. After the Trump administration deployed 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, several people protested the move.
Amid the crackdown, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot dead by an ICE agent on January 7. Nearly two weeks later, 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti faced a similar fate and was shot multiple times.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that both victims were trying to harm ICE agents. However, videos of the two incidents contradicted these claims.
After severe backlash and pressure from the state government, President Trump announced that he was open to de-escalating the situation in Minnesota. The new guidance is likely a part of this de-escalation strategy.
Meanwhile, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was removed from Minnesota and replaced by Border Czar Tom Homan in another attempt to tackle the ICE violence in the state.
TRUMP DE-ESCALATES in Minnesota.
“DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS.”— ICE email
New guidance included avoiding direct engagement with “agitators”, a shift to more “targeted” enforcement, and focus on illegal aliens with criminal records or convictions. pic.twitter.com/9gjNzmkirR
— American Screed (@american_screed) January 29, 2026
On Thursday, Homan addressed the media and announced that he had arrived in Minnesota to find a solution to the ongoing crisis. He said, “I didn’t come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. I came here to seek solutions, and that’s [what] we’re going to do.”
Homan added that he was already in conversations with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and that everyone agreed they needed to work together to ensure public safety.
He stated, “One thing we did agree on… was that community safety is paramount.” With the new memo and the posting of Homan, Minneapolis citizens may finally get some relief after a month of worry and uncertainty.
