Federal immigration agents begin withdrawal from Minnesota — 700 out of 3,000 to be withdrawn simultaneously
700 people will be withdrawn immediately.
Immigration agents detain a protester in Minneapolis. Photo: Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images
US federal authorities have decided to withdraw 700 employees of immigration and border services from Minneapolis, who were sent there to search for and detain undocumented immigrants. This was announced on Wednesday by "border tsar" Tom Homan, writes BBC.
Homan, who oversees all US border-related issues in the Trump administration, said at a press conference that these 700 people would be withdrawn immediately. However, about 2,000 federal employees, deployed there as part of the operation against illegal immigration, will remain in Minnesota.
In January, during protests against this operation, federal agents shot and killed two US citizens in Minneapolis, after which President Trump's administration recalled the commander of the operation, Greg Bovino, and replaced him with Tom Homan.
The operation involves employees of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Homan said that employees from both agencies would be withdrawn.
According to Homan, federal authorities ultimately intend to withdraw all employees seconded to Minnesota and return them home, but the operation against undocumented immigrants will continue in the near future.
Homan again indirectly blamed opponents of the Trump administration, who are protesting against his campaign to deport undocumented immigrants, for the deaths in Minneapolis.
The "border tsar" reminded that he had said a year ago that if these people did not stop inciting hatred, it would end in bloodshed — and now it has happened.
At the same time, Homan assured, neither he, nor President Trump, nor Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem wanted this bloodshed.
Homan asked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, to address the state's citizens and urge them not to interfere with federal agents.
After the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretty, who were shot by federal agents, Walz demanded the complete withdrawal of all federal contingents from the state.
The day before, Secretary Kristi Noem announced that all federal agents in Minnesota would be issued body cameras.
Now reading
In Poznań, a gynecologist removed the uterus and ovaries of a 24-year-old Belarusian woman without her consent. The doctor faces up to 20 years in prison 3737
Comments