Senior Border Patrol Commander to Depart Minneapolis Amid Escalating Tensions
A senior Border Patrol commander and several agents are expected to leave Minneapolis as early as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The departure of Commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the forefront of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement surge in cities across the nation, coincides with President Donald Trump dispatching border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Mounting Outrage Over Fatal Shooting
Bovino's exit marks a significant public shift in federal law enforcement posture, coming amid growing outrage over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents. His leadership of highly visible federal crackdowns, including operations that sparked mass demonstrations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis, has drawn fierce criticism from local officials, civil rights advocates, and congressional Democrats.
Criticism around Bovino intensified in recent days following his public defense of the Pretti shooting and disputed claims about the confrontation that led to the nurse's death. The person familiar with the matter was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the operation, highlighting the sensitive nature of the ongoing enforcement activities.
Trump and Governor Walz Find Common Ground
In a notable development, President Trump and Democratic Governor Tim Walz spoke in a phone call on Monday, with both later offering comments that represented a marked change from their previously critical exchanges. Their conversation occurred on the same day a federal judge heard arguments in a lawsuit aimed at halting the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.
"We, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength," the president wrote in a social media post following the call. Governor Walz described the conversation as "productive" and emphasized the need for impartial investigations into the recent shootings. Trump stated his administration was looking for "any and all" criminals the state has in its custody, while Walz confirmed that the state Department of Corrections honors federal requests for people in its custody.
Federal Judge Grapples with Unprecedented Case
Attorneys for the administration, the state, and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul appeared before U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez on Monday as she considered whether to grant requests to temporarily halt the immigration operation. While she issued no immediate ruling, Judge Menendez made it clear the case was a priority, stating, "It's because this is important that I'm doing everything I can to get it right."
Lawyers for the state and the Twin Cities argued that the situation on the street has become so dire it requires the court to halt the federal government's enforcement actions. Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter warned, "If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don't think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future."
Judge Questions Federal Motivations and Constitutional Limits
Judge Menendez expressed skepticism about the government's motivation behind the crackdown and questioned a letter recently sent by Attorney General Pam Bondi to Governor Walz. The letter requested access to voter rolls, state Medicaid and food assistance records, and the repeal of sanctuary policies.
"I mean, is there no limit to what the executive can do under the guise of enforcing immigration law?" Menendez asked during the hearing. She noted that the federal requests are already the subject of litigation and questioned whether she was being asked to decide between state and federal policies, remarking, "That begins to feel very much like I am deciding which policy approach is best."
Border Czar Deployed to Minnesota
President Trump announced he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota following weekend news conferences where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino answered questions about Pretti's shooting. Trump posted on social media that Homan will report directly to him, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating Homan would be "the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis" during continued operations by federal immigration officers.
In court on Monday, an administration attorney revealed that approximately 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were on the ground in Minnesota, along with at least 1,000 Border Patrol officers. The lawsuit asks the judge to order a reduction in federal law enforcement personnel back to pre-surge levels and to limit the scope of the enforcement operation.
Broader Implications for Other States
The case has significant implications for other states that have been or could become targets of ramped-up federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorneys general from 19 states plus the District of Columbia, led by California, filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota, warning that "If left unchecked, the federal government will no doubt be emboldened to continue its unlawful conduct in Minnesota and to repeat it elsewhere."
Multiple Legal Proceedings Unfold Simultaneously
In a separate case, Judge Menendez ruled on January 16 that federal officers in Minnesota cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities. An appeals court temporarily suspended that ruling three days before Saturday's shooting, but plaintiffs represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota asked for an emergency order lifting the stay following Pretti's killing.
Meanwhile, another federal judge, Eric Tostrud, issued an order late Saturday blocking the Trump administration from "destroying or altering evidence" related to Saturday's shooting. Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty requested the order to preserve evidence collected by federal officials that state authorities have not yet been able to inspect.
Protests Target Hotel Housing Federal Agents
On Sunday night, protesters targeted a Minneapolis hotel where federal agents were believed to be staying, blocking a major avenue on the edge of the University of Minnesota campus. A freelance photographer working for The Associated Press observed smashed glass in the hotel lobby and graffiti with obscenities and threats directed at ICE.
Minneapolis police reported that an officer inside the hotel tried to provide aid to an injured federal agent. As local and state agencies planned to move in to deescalate the situation and make arrests, federal agents arrived and "deployed chemical munitions," according to the police statement. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said a statement on the situation would be provided later Monday.
