By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - Trump administration officials are working on a plan to "soon" reduce the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, White House border czar Tom Homan said Thursday.
Homan acknowledged faults in the administration’s immigration crackdown, but said the reduction in the number of ICE officers is contingent on the implementation of agreements with state and local officials, Homan told reporters in Minneapolis.
"The withdrawal of law enforcement resources here is dependent upon cooperation," he said. "We have some agreements. We got more to talk about, how we're going to implement these agreements. But as we see that cooperation happen, then the redeployment will happen."
Protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and federal shootings have taken place for more than a month in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with demonstrations escalating following the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, by immigration officers Saturday, and the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.
The Pretti shooting heightened existing tensions as local and state leaders demand independent investigations, and question federal cooperation with authorities.