President Donald Trump announced that his border czar, Tom Homan, will arrive in Minnesota Monday evening, saying he and Gov. Tim Walz had a cordial phone call and are aligned on working toward a solution as federal immigration enforcement intensifies across the state.
“Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. “It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength.”
NEW: President Trump says he spoke with Gov. Walz this morning pic.twitter.com/t8OAsu4YyY
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) January 26, 2026
Trump said he told Walz that his administration’s focus would be on identifying and removing criminal offenders, adding that Homan would contact the governor directly.
“I told Governor 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,” Trump wrote. “The Governor, very respectfully, understood that.”
Trump said Walz welcomed Homan’s visit.
“He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!” Trump added. The president said Homan “is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.”
JUST IN: Tom Homan will now be managing ICE operations in Minnesota, the White House announces pic.twitter.com/oMgEcuVGPp
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) January 26, 2026
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Homan “will be managing ICE operations on the ground in Minnesota.”
Walz’s office told CNN that the governor had a productive call with the president, who “agreed that he would talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation” into Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Fox News has reported in the past that Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have disagreements “over deportation tactics and priorities.” However, Noem praised Homan’s “experience and insight” on Monday and said his arrival in Minnesota “is good news for peace, safety and accountability.”
Homan headed to Minnesota amid enforcement surge
Homan’s arrival comes in the wake of Saturday’s fatal shooting of Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.
Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident who worked as an ICU nurse, was shot and killed during a federal immigration enforcement action on Jan. 24.
Video of the incident shows agents wrestling Pretti to the ground before shots were fired; federal officials say he was armed, while local authorities note he was licensed to carry.
Pretti’s death followed the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good, also by a federal immigration agent, during a separate encounter in Minneapolis. That incident, like Pretti’s, has drawn conflicting accounts from federal authorities and local officials about what led to the use of deadly force.
Federal authorities continue to carry out Operation Metro Surge, a Department of Homeland Security initiative that has deployed a large number of federal agents to the Twin Cities in recent weeks.
According to DHS, the operation has resulted in thousands of arrests, with officials saying the focus has been on individuals accused of serious criminal offenses.
Trump pointed to what he described as significant success in other cities where immigration enforcement operations have been carried out.
“We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have ‘touched,’” Trump wrote. “Even in Minnesota, crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump also referenced the sweeping federal investigations into widespread fraud in Minnesota and what he described as an investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar’s personal wealth, which he said has increased significantly since she took office.
This is a developing story.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
