After a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend, sparking widespread anger and an unexpected gun rights debate, President Donald Trump appears to be changing course over his immigration enforcement efforts in the state.
Pretti, who was killed on Saturday, is now the second American citizen killed by federal officers since they began their enforcement efforts in Minnesota. Renee Good, also 37, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent earlier this month. Her death, and now Pretti’s, led to massive protests in the state and elsewhere, and demands for the federal government to remove the agents before more violence occurs.
It seems that after the political temperature increased in Minneapolis over the last few weeks, Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz now agree the temperature needs to be turned down.
How will Walz and Trump try to turn down the temperature?
While Trump has not explicitly said he wants to end immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, his posts online point to a change of course.
On Sunday evening, Trump said he was calling on Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other Democratic leaders to “formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence.”
However, after speaking with Walz on Monday morning, the president’s tone shifted.
Trump announced that he would be sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota on Monday evening. Trump said that Homan is “tough but fair” and will report directly to the president when he arrives in the Twin Cities.
He also announced that Walz requested they work together “with respect to Minnesota.”
“It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump said. “I told Gov. Walz that I would have Tom Homan call him, and that what we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession.”
Walz said the call with Trump was productive and that it was necessary to have an impartial investigation into the shootings of Pretti and Good and that the number of federal agents in Minnesota need to be reduced.
“The President agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and to talk to DHS about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, as would ordinarily be the case,” Walz shared online.
Border Patrol readies to leave the state
Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino has faced increasingly sharp criticism over his role in enforcement efforts in Minnesota. He also received backlash after he argued that Pretti’s death was justified and the Border Patrol agents were the victims in the situation.
As of Monday, it was being circulated that Bovino and some Border Patrol agents will be leaving the state. Under Bovino’s leadership, federal agents have deployed to Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities over the last year.
A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Bovino is among the federal agents leaving Minneapolis. NBC News reported that Bovino will be returning to the border in El Centro, California. There are conflicting reports over whether this is a demotion for Bovino, and what his new role will be.
Trump announced that Homan would head to Minnesota to lead efforts there.
Like Walz, the mayor said he spoke with Trump as well and asked him to end the immigration enforcement surge in his city. Frey said Trump agreed that the current situation cannot continue.
Frey and Walz had plans to meet with Homan on Tuesday, which is a promising sign that the leaders, despite their differing views on immigration and the administration’s enforcement, are willing to talk through the issues.
Following the meeting, Walz’s office said that the governor reiterated that Minnesota has several key priorities, including impartial investigations into the two deaths, and “a swift, significant reduction in the number of federal forces in Minnesota, and an end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota.”
According to his office, Walz and Homan agreed on the need to have ongoing dialogue and will work toward those goals that Trump also agreed upon on Monday.
Trump, speaking to reporters before departing the White House for Iowa on Tuesday, did not directly answer a question about if Pretti’s death was justified, but diverted to saying that “we’re doing a big investigation” that he wants to see himself. He said he loves Pretti’s family and it’s a “very sad situation.”
Federal impacts on state politics
Earlier this month amid a fraud scandal, Walz announced that he would no longer be seeking reelection to be Minnesota’s governor next term. It shook up the gubernatorial race, particularly as Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is rumored to launch a bid soon. Her campaign launch was reportedly delayed due to Pretti’s death and the ongoing unrest in Minnesota.
Klobuchar spent Monday speaking with White House officials and urging them to de-escalate the situation in her state and have the Trump administration remove the federal agents from the streets of Minnesota.
On the Republican side of the race, GOP candidate Chris Madel shared a surprising video announcement on Monday that he was dropping out of the race.
“Today, I announced the end of my campaign,” he said. “I cannot support the National Republican stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.”
“I support the originally stated goals of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ‘Operation Metro Surge’ in locating and deporting the worst of the worst from our state. And I’ve seen many examples of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arresting non U.S. citizens in Minnesota convicted of serious crimes including murder, rape and child sexual assault,” Madel continued. “But Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats.”
“At the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye and tell them, I believe I did what was right and I am doing that today.”
