Tom Homan Shreds Democrat Victory-Lapping Over ICE’s MN Drawdown With Inconvenient Facts – RedState

President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan made one thing clear about the ICE withdrawal in Minneapolis, Minnesota: It’s not the end — and federal agents can return on a large scale if necessary.

Yes, ICE is ending its peak posture in Minneapolis. No, this does not mean that the application stops.

Homan addressed the transition in a television interview Thursday night, pushing back against the idea that the feds are withdrawing and Democrats’ false claims that it was a victory for the anti-ICE resistance movement in Minnesota:

Minnesotans stood together, watched ICE and never blinked.

-Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) February 12, 2026

.@RealTomHoman in Minnesota: “We’re still going to have hundreds of special agents here relying on fraud from the Somali community… This ends the surge, but we’re not going away… If we have to come back, we’ll come back.” pic.twitter.com/tzSvrFP7Hd

– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 13, 2026

Excerpt from the interview:

“Even as we reduce our resources, we still want hundreds of special agents mobilized here to investigate fraud, coming from the Somali community and others. During these fraud investigations, until they are completed, we are going to hold people accountable.”

This is not a withdrawal. Hundreds of agents remain focused on fraud and related criminal investigations. Current cases continue. Staff are still on the ground.

What ends it is the surge setup, the intensified increase in manpower designed to force cooperation and accelerate enforcement.

Learn more: Homan Nukes: story of the “ICE retreat” with the announcement of the withdrawal of 700 agents

‘We are not abandoning the president’s mission on immigration control’: Homan puts the issue in play

Independent journalist Julio Rosas reported that Minneapolis’ efforts brought a heavier federal footprint to the region, with a clear goal: getting local authorities to cooperate in ongoing criminal cases and fraud investigations. The additional manpower was a tool and not a long-term deployment.

As Rosas pointed out, once Minnesota authorities began working more closely with federal investigators and key investigative goals were met, there was no longer a need to maintain a surge staff.

This increase was structured to force compliance with specific criminal law enforcement priorities and accelerate ongoing fraud investigations. Once cooperation was assured and operational objectives achieved, federal authorities abandoned surge staffing while retaining investigative staff.

This is the transition that is happening now.

But Homan’s most important message wasn’t about the past. It was about the future.

“It’s like any other surge operation. Los Angeles, it’s over. Charlotte, it’s over. New Orleans, it’s over. It ends the surge, but we’re not going away.”

Power surges end. This is not the case for law enforcement authorities.

ICE maintains staff in Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security retains full authority to increase its footprint again if conditions warrant. The federal government has not relinquished control.

Homan drove home this point with a line that sounded less like a comment and more like a warning.

“More than 800 flights a day land in St. Paul, Minnesota. If we have to come back, we’ll come back.”

This is the dissuasive message.

Minneapolis is not off the radar. Minnesota is not immune from federal measures. The ramp-up phase is over, but the federal presence remains and the recovery capacity is intact.

The increase in numbers may be over.

But the signal from Washington is clear: if cooperation fails, ICE will return.

Editor’s Note: Democratic politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents who enforce our immigration laws.

Help us hold these leftists accountable and expose their obstructionism. Join RedState and use promo code STRUGGLE to benefit from 60% off your membership.