'We are not surrendering': Tom Homan reveals immigration enforcement plans in Minnesota

Border czar Tom Homan held a press conference in Minneapolis on Friday morning, where he said that the Trump administration is not surrendering its immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.

“Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals,” Homan said. He added that if Minnesota cooperates with ICE, not just at the Minnesota Department of Corrections, but also at county and city jails, this would be essential to safely taking criminal illegal immigrants into custody.

“I want to be clear,” Homan said, adding, “We are not surrendering the President's mission in immigration enforcement." Homan said that he had met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as well as Attorney General Keith Ellison.

He said that during a sit-down with Ellison, the Democrat attorney general agreed “that county jails may notify ICE of the release dates of criminal public safety risk so ICE can take custody upon their release from the jail.” Homan did not say specifically what “may” meant during the press conference.

In Minnesota, the reason that it has many sanctuary-designated locales is that many city and county jails do not notify ICE and immigration enforcement of a criminal illegal immigrant. That process only takes place at the state department of corrections after their sentences are completed.
 

In many instances, criminal illegal immigrants who have been charged and arrested for criminal activities, but have not gone through the trial process, are released into the community. Some may post bail and then avoid law enforcement. In those cases, many Minnesota locales, such as Minneapolis, have historically not informed ICE when those criminal illegal immigrants are arrested.

“I've said it for the last several years. Give us access to the illegal alien public safety threat in the safety and security of a jail. It's common sense. It's safer for the community, it's safer for the agent, and it’s safer for the alien,” Homan added in the conference.

He ensured that ICE would be conducting targeted immigration enforcement. He said that there would be a drawdown of federal agents in the state, but that it is dependent on Minnesota officials collaborating not just at the Department of Corrections, but also at the county and city jails.