White House Says Trump Stands By Strict Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota

Cooperation between Minnesota officials and federal authorities is crucial to easing tensions and restoring public safety, the White House press secretary said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Jan. 8, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The White House said on Jan. 26 that President Donald Trump will not retreat from his demands for strict immigration enforcement in Minnesota, pressing state and city leaders to fully cooperate with federal authorities and laying out the president’s strategy to bring back law and order following unrest in Minneapolis.

At a briefing with reporters, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt outlined Trump’s plan, which directs Minnesota officials to turn over criminal illegal immigrants to federal custody and urges state and local police to assist federal agents in arresting and detaining those wanted for crimes.

Leavitt said the president discussed the strategy in a phone call with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, urging the governor, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and other Democratic leaders to hand over incarcerated criminal illegal aliens to federal authorities for immediate deportation. She added that Trump expects local law enforcement to transfer illegal immigrants arrested by local police to federal custody and to help in detaining individuals wanted for violent crimes.

“It is President Trump’s hope and wish and demand for the resistance and chaos to end today,” Leavitt said, adding that the administration sees the measures as essential to restoring public safety after two fatal shootings involving federal agents and ongoing protests in Minneapolis.

Leavitt described the blueprint as a “clear and simple path” that has already been implemented in numerous other states, and she stressed that cooperation between federal, state, and local authorities could prevent further conflict and violence.

“ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and local law enforcement can peacefully work together, as they are effectively doing in so many other states and jurisdictions to remove violent criminals from American neighborhoods,” the press secretary said in a post on X.

She also reiterated Trump’s call for Congress to pass legislation ending sanctuary city policies nationwide, asserting that cities should be safe for law-abiding citizens, not for individuals who break federal law.

“We hope Governor Walz will do the right thing and work with President Trump to keep the American people safe,” Leavitt said, adding, “The most peaceful way to carry out this vital public safety mission is for Republicans and Democrats to do it together.”

The press secretary said there is strong public support for a policy of strong border security and strict immigration enforcement against illegal immigrants who commit egregious crimes, adding that there are “hundreds of thousands” of such individuals inside the country that the administration seeks to deport.

Federal agents fire flash-bang grenades as they advance toward protesters during clashes following the fatal shooting of a man by federal immigration agents earlier in the day in Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026. Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images

“President Trump will never back down from his promise to deport violent criminal illegal aliens and Make America Safe Again,” Leavitt said.

Tensions Escalate After Fatal Shooting

The Trump administration’s push for strict immigration enforcement comes against a backdrop of tensions in Minnesota, where two 37-year-old U.S. civilians were killed in recent weeks in confrontations with federal agents.

On Jan. 24, Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as an act of self-defense.

The DHS said Pretti had a “9 mm semi-automatic handgun” and was carrying two additional magazines.

“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted,” DHS said, adding that an agent fired “defensive shots” after fearing for his life and the safety of other officers.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.

Alex J. Pretti in an undated photo. Michael Pretti via AP

Pretti’s family said in a statement shared by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that Pretti was “clearly not holding a gun” but instead had “his phone in his right hand, and his empty left hand is raised above his head.”

Pretti’s parents identified him as an intensive care unit nurse and said he was a “kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends.”

In another incident, Renee Good was killed by an ICE officer during a separate immigration operation.

The incidents ignited protests and deepened public scrutiny of the federal immigration enforcement operation, dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” which deployed thousands of agents across the state. Demonstrators have called for greater accountability and an end to the operations, with protests extending to cities beyond Minnesota.

Officials in Minnesota have pushed back against the administration’s demands and the presence of federal agents.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to reporters after he announced that he would not seek reelection, at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Jan. 5, 2026. Tim Evans/Reuters

Walz said in a Jan. 26 post on X that his call with Trump was “productive” but emphasized the need for impartial investigations into the shootings and a reduction in the number of federal agents in the state. Walz also pressed for state law enforcement authorities to lead independent probes where appropriate.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Walz sharply criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in the state, describing them as illegal and counterproductive and arguing that they are fueling mistrust and public disorder rather than improving safety.

“That isn’t effective law enforcement. It isn’t following the rule of law. It’s chaos. It’s illegal. And it’s un-American,” Walz wrote, adding that Minnesotans are protesting “loudly and urgently, but also peacefully” against the operation.

Frey said in a post on X that he appreciated his conversation with Trump, which the president described as “very good.”

The mayor said that Minneapolis would not participate in federal immigration enforcement operations, which he described as unconstitutional in a separate post. Frey added that his main request to Trump was for Operation Metro Surge to end and that he planned to meet with border czar Tom Homan in the coming days.

Trump said in a Jan. 26 post on X that he was sending Homan to Minnesota in the wake of the unrest, with Leavitt further clarifying that Homan would manage the immigration enforcement operations in the city and coordinate with individuals leading fraud investigations there.