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A “small” security force will stay for a short period to protect
remaining immigration agents and will respond “when our agents
are out and they get surrounded by agitators and things got out
of control,” Homan told CBS' “Face the Nation.” He did not
define “small.”
He also said agents will keep investigating fraud allegations as
well as the anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted
a service at a church service.
“We already removed well over 1,000 people, and as of Monday,
Tuesday, we’ll remove several hundred more,” Homan said. “We’ll
get back to the original footprint.”
Thousands of officers were sent to the Minneapolis and St. Paul
area for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's “Operation
Metro Surge.” The Department of Homeland Security said it was
its largest immigration enforcement operation ever and proved
successful. But the crackdown came under increasing criticism as
the situation grew more volatile and two U.S. citizens were
killed.
Protests became common. A network of residents worked to help
immigrants, warn of approaching agents or film immigration
officers’ actions. The shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex
Pretti by federal officers drew condemnation and raised
questions over officers’ conduct, prompting changes to the
operation.
Homan announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave
Minnesota immediately, but that still left more than 2,000 in
the state. He said Thursday that a “significant drawdown” was
already underway and would continue through this week.
Homan said enforcement would not stop in the Twin Cities and
that mass deportations will continue across the country.
Officers leaving Minnesota will report back to their stations or
be assigned elsewhere.
When asked if future deployments could match the scale of the
Twin Cities operation, Homan said “it depends on the situation.”
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