(Al Jazeera Media Network) Tom Homan, the US border security chief, says that the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to mass detentions, protests and two deaths is coming to an end.
“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said at a news conference on Thursday.
“I have proposed, and President [Donald] Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude.”
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota on December 1 as Trump frequently rebuked the state and its sizeable Somali community.
Homan said ICE operations would continue as they did before the operation began.
“Through targeted enforcement operations based on reasonable suspicion, and prioritising safety and security, ICE will continue to identify, arrest, and remove illegal aliens who pose a risk to public safety, as we’ve done for years,” he said.
Federal authorities say the sweeps focused on the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area have led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people. While the Trump administration has called those arrested “dangerous criminal illegal aliens”, many people with no criminal records, including children and US citizens, have been detained.
Minnesota Tim Walz said on Thursday he was “cautiously optimistic” after the Trump administration’s announcement of drawing down the immigration crackdown in his state.
“They left us with deep damage, generational trauma,” Walz told reporters. “They left us with economic ruin in some cases.”
