President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on 26/1 that he was deploying immigration policy advisor Tom Homan to Minnesota. Homan will manage US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field operations in the state.

"Tom is tough but fair and will report directly to me," President Trump stated. He added that Homan, referred to as a "border chief", "knows and loves" many people in Minnesota, where thousands of federal agents have conducted the largest undocumented immigrant sweep program to date in recent weeks.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed Homan would manage ICE operations in Minnesota "to continue arresting dangerous undocumented immigrants."

Tom Homan in Washington on 14/1. *Photo: AP*

This decision to dispatch Homan comes amidst growing criticism directed at Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and other administration officials. Their leadership and statements in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have drawn scrutiny following successive fatal shootings involving federal agents.

On 25/1, Fox News reported that some senior immigration enforcement officials "have increasingly felt uneasy and disappointed with certain statements made by the Department of Homeland Security." This sentiment arose after a border patrol officer fatally shot Alex Pretti, 37, in Minneapolis.

Secretary Noem stated that the deployment of Homan to Minnesota was "good news for peace, security, and accountability in Minneapolis." Noem also urged Minnesota leaders to cooperate in ensuring public safety.

Minneapolis has seen two fatal shootings this month involving agents conducting immigration sweeps. The first occurred on 7/1, when an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, during an encounter in a south Minneapolis residential area. The second incident, which resulted in Pretti's death, happened on 24/1.

By Ngoc Anh (*According to CNBC, CNN, Yahoo News*)