In an interview with CBS, the ‘border czar’ said that 1,000 agents have left the state and another hundred will leave in the coming days
The “border czar” of the United States, Tom Homan, said this Sunday (15) that around 1,000 immigration agents have left the region of Minneapolis and St. Paul, in Minnesota, and another hundred are expected to leave in the coming days. The measure is part of the reduction in the US government’s operation to reinforce immigration inspection.
In an interview with the program Face The Nationfrom the North American broadcaster CBSHoman stated that a “small” security force will remain for a limited period to protect agents who are still in the state and work in risky situations. He did not detail the size of this contingent.
According to the “border czar”, agents will also continue investigating reports of fraud and the protest against the migration operation that interrupted a religious service in a church. “We will return to the original size of the force,” said Homan.
Thousands of agents were sent to the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul region, in Minnesota, in “Operation Metro Surge”, conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called the action the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out and said it was successful. The tightening, however, came under criticism as the atmosphere became more tense and two American citizens were killed.
Protests became frequent, and a network of residents organized to support immigrants, warn about the presence of agents and film inspection actions. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, shot by federal officers, generated public condemnation and questions about the agents’ conduct, leading to changes in the operation.
Homan had announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota “immediately,” but there were still more than 2,000 agents left in Minnesota. On Thursday (12), he stated that a “significant reduction” in personnel was already underway and would continue throughout this week.
The “border czar” said that enforcement will not be interrupted and that large-scale deportation operations will continue to be carried out in other parts of the country. Agents who leave Minnesota must return to their home bases or be relocated to other areas.
When asked if future operations could be of the same size as the action in the Twin Cities, Homan responded that it “depends on the situation.”
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
