White House Border Czar Signals Potential ICE Surges in Sanctuary Cities Even as Minnesota Operations Wind Down

Tom Homan, the White House border czar, stated on Monday that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be deployed to additional sanctuary cities despite the administration winding down its enforcement surge in Minnesota.

During a CBS “Face the Nation” interview, Homan emphasized that sending more agents elsewhere would depend on local conditions and argued that “we need to flood the zone in sanctuary cities with additional agents” if circumstances warrant such action.

Homan’s remarks followed the Trump administration’s decision to conclude Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area after over two months of heightened federal immigration enforcement. The operation faced escalating legal disputes, sustained protests, and intensified demonstrations following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during confrontations with federal officers.

At a Minneapolis press conference announcing the surge’s end, Homan noted that he and President Donald Trump agreed the mission should “conclude” due to improved cooperation with local officials and achieved enforcement objectives. However, he clarified that withdrawal would be gradual, with a “small force” of federal agents remaining temporarily to protect personnel and respond to potential confrontations by protesters or what he termed “agitators.”

Homan confirmed during his CBS interview that over 1,000 agents have already departed Minnesota, with hundreds more expected to leave in the coming days. He declined to specify how many officers would remain, stating only that this residual presence would ensure officer safety and maintain operational stability.

The Operation Metro Surge, which peaked at roughly 3,000 federal officers in Minnesota, became one of the most controversial immigration enforcement efforts of Trump’s second term after January shootings triggered widespread demonstrations across Minneapolis and St. Paul. The campaign drew national scrutiny over federal tactics.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized the operation’s impact, expressing skepticism about broader administration intentions and warning that expanding deployments to other cities risks repeating the turmoil seen in the Twin Cities. He stated the deployment inflicted “deep damage, generational trauma, economic ruin.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey welcomed the drawdown but urged accountability, emphasizing the city must work to “restore trust and stability” after months of disruption while continuing support for immigrant communities.

Civil liberties advocates directly responded to Homan’s comments on potential future deployments. The American Civil Liberties Union highlighted polling from YouGov showing 53% of voters view recent ICE actions unfavorably and 55% support ending mass ICE raids, arguing public sentiment opposes expanding aggressive enforcement into additional sanctuary jurisdictions.

In his CBS interview, Homan defended the Minnesota effort as having “yielded the successful results we came here for” and reiterated that federal immigration law will be enforced regardless of local sanctuary policies. He underscored that additional deployments remain possible, stating that if federal officials determine “need to surge resources into another sanctuary city,” they would act accordingly—signaling the administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown could target other cities based on evolving conditions.