President Donald Trump has dispatched his longtime immigration enforcer Tom Homan to Minnesota. While the White House framed it as an internal reshuffling, critics say it’s a move to calm Minneapolis following deadly ICE shootings during the U.S.’s latest immigration storm.
Two U.S. citizens have been killed during ICE operations in Minnesota this month. First was 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, and now intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, also 37, has died. Pretti’s death begged congressional scrutiny and an impeachment push against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
On Monday, Trump confirmed that Homan would oversee Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on the ground in Minnesota. It should be noted that he is a former ICE director and is now known as White House “border czar.” On Truth Social, Trump said Homan would “report directly to me” and that he had a “very good call” with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.
Trump said Walz was “happy” about the assignment.
Trump’s America. pic.twitter.com/g90JvXyrMK
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 23, 2026
Walz, on the other hand, said he asked Trump for impartial investigations into the Minneapolis shootings and for a reduction in the number of federal agents in the state right now. Walz also said that Trump agreed to speak with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about an independent investigation by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The centre might also consider scaling back federal presence.
Homan’s arrival is clearly a strategy shift. DHS Secretary Noem has mostly highlighted raw deportation numbers with Border Patrol leading the charge. But Homan argues that targeted removals should focus on undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told that Homan would manage ICE operations to arrest “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” while investigations into alleged charity fraud in Minneapolis were underway.
But on Saturday, Alex Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents while protesting said immigration enforcement. DHS officials at first swore agents fired in self-defense as Pretti was armed and resisted attempts to disarm him. But videos of the scenario do not show Pretti threatening agents with a weapon. Minnesota officials and Pretti’s family have thus disputed that explanation.
Pretti was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital, and his family says he had no criminal record. And while he was licensed to carry a handgun under Minnesota law, relatives never knew him to carry it. Friends and colleagues describe him as a caregiver troubled by the administration’s immigration crackdown.
After his killing, pressure on Noem has intensified as the DHS oversees ICE and Border Patrol. House Democrats now want to investigate her leadership and possibly impeach her. However, her removal is unlikely in a GOP-led Congress.
FIRE NOEM. https://t.co/go9yq3ZHuU
— Evan Barker (@evanwch) January 27, 2026
At least 145 House Democrats have called for Noem’s impeachment after Pretti’s death. Several Democrats from swing districts have also called for her resignation, but party leaders frame the moment as a way to “remove” or “fire” the secretary. Yet even GOP lawmakers have requested testimony from ICE and Border Patrol officials. Senate Homeland Security Chair Rand Paul has scheduled hearings next month.
So, Trump sending Homan to Minneapolis now looks like he wants to exert some control, right?
