Border Czar Tom Homan promises changes in Minneapolis: operations have ‘not been perfect’

President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said Jan. 29 that the administration has begun making internal changes to federal immigration operations in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti. Homan said efforts have not been “perfect” and signaled a partial drawdown of federal agents.

“President Trump wants this fixed, and I’m going to fix it, with your help,” Homan said at a press conference in Minneapolis.

The event marked Homan’s first public remarks since Trump dispatched him to Minnesota on Jan. 26 to help de-escalate tensions following the Jan. 24 shooting of Pretti by federal agents. In the aftermath, the administration has adjusted leadership and operations in Minnesota, including by pulling U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino from the state.

Homan acknowledged that mistakes were made and said the administration has already taken corrective steps.

“I do not want to hear that everything that has been done here has been perfect. Nothing is ever perfect. Anything can be improved on,” Homan said. “What we’ve been working on is making this operation safer, more efficient, by the book.”

He said additional internal changes are underway and emphasized that the administration is developing a plan to reduce the federal footprint in the state.

“I have staff from CBP and from ICE working on a drawdown plan,” Homan said, referring to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “What does that look like based on the cooperation? What does that look like based on how many targets we have left to find?”

The proposed shift would reduce street-level enforcement by expanding federal access to local jails, enabling agents to apprehend individuals with criminal histories in the state.

“More agents in the jail means less agents in the street. This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said.

Homan, who has been meeting with Minnesota officials, said that while they do not agree on everything, he has made “great progress” in discussions with Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, all Democrats. The drawdown plan, he added, hinges on local officials’ cooperation.

Homan stressed that he was not asking state or local officials to enforce federal immigration law but rather to cooperate with federal authorities to remove criminal illegal immigrants from the community.

“We will conduct targeted enforcement operations — targeted. What we’ve done for decades. When we hit the streets, we know exactly who we’re looking for,” he said, adding that federal agents rely on criminal and immigration records to identify their targets.

Tensions came to a head in Minneapolis following Pretti’s shooting, which came just weeks after an ICE officer fatally shot another U.S. citizen, Renee Good, in the city on Jan. 7.

Homan declined to comment directly on the shootings, citing ongoing investigations, but said agents who fail to act professionally will be held accountable.

“They are performing their duties in a challenging environment, but they’re trying to do it with professionalism,” he said. “If they don’t, they’ll be dealt with. Like any other federal agency, we have standards of conduct. They are sworn law enforcement officers working tirelessly to enforce our country's border security, immigration laws, protecting the interests of our country, and preventing dangerous people from walking the streets of this nation when they're not supposed to be here to begin with.”

He also condemned escalating threats and “hostile rhetoric” directed at federal agents, warning that such language could fuel further violence. 

Homan emphasized that he is committed to protecting everyone.

“I don’t want to see anybody die,” he said. “Despite what people think of [me], I say a prayer every night that everybody goes home safe.”

The remarks reflected a softer tone from the Trump administration regarding Pretti’s death than what the public initially heard from Bovino, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and White House Advisor Stephen Miller. While those officials initially described the shooting as a justified use of force, alleging that Pretti approached agents with a firearm, videos circulated online raised questions about whether Pretti posed any immediate threat. 

Trump has called for a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the shooting and said his administration plans to ease tensions by reducing federal presence in the state.