Unpacking border czar Tom Homan’s first remarks after arriving in Minnesota
White House "border czar" Tom Homan holds a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal building on Thursday, in Minneapolis.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson | AP
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Audio transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] EMILY BRIGHT: It's Minnesota Now. I'm Emily Bright. White House borders are Tom Homan made his first public remarks today after arriving in Minnesota earlier this week to oversee federal immigration enforcement. Homan is assuming leadership of the surge of federal agents from Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who had been the face of the operation. NPR's Estelle Timar-Wilcox was at this morning's news conference, and she joins me now. Hello, Estelle.
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Hi, Emily.
EMILY BRIGHT: So with this shift in leadership in the Minnesota operation, what was the tone in the room this morning?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Yeah. Well, Homan has a pretty different presence than Bovino. He talks a little more measured. He wore a suit instead of a uniform. He said that he has a goal to reduce the number of federal agents here. He talked about doing targeted enforcement, meaning arresting people with more serious criminal records. And he said that's the usual practice for Border Patrol and ICE, but he thinks this operation got away from that recently in Minneapolis. And he talked about collaborating with local officials. Here's what he said about that.
TOM HOMAN: In my meetings with folks so far, most importantly, the governor and the AG, the Mayor Frey, we didn't agree on everything. I didn't expect to agree on anything. I've heard many people want to why we're talking to people who they don't consider friends to the administration. Bottom line is you can't fix problems if you don't have discussions. I didn't come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. You haven't seen me. I came here to seek solutions, and that's what we're going to do.
EMILY BRIGHT: I understand that Homan acknowledged some missteps in the federal operations so far?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Yeah, he did. He avoided naming specific practices that he wanted to end in this operation, avoided calling out too many specific missteps. But he was candid in saying that he wouldn't be here if everything had gone perfectly.
TOM HOMAN: Nothing's ever perfect. Anything can be improved on. And what we've been working on is making this operation safer and more efficient by the book. The mission is going to improve because of the changes we're making internally.
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: And Homan emphasized that even if the number of agents is reduced, federal authorities are not abandoning this immigration enforcement effort altogether.
EMILY BRIGHT: I know Homan has been in town for a few days now, so I'm curious how has that shift in tone translating to actual practices on the street so far?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Well, local leaders here, like city council members in St. Paul and Minneapolis, have told us that they're still seeing agents in their neighborhoods making arrests. They're still hearing a lot of fear from residents. And we've still seen protesters and observers out on the streets. So not a lot of trust yet from folks that this shift in tone is really a shift in practice.
And Homan hasn't given a more concrete timeline for ending the operation. He said some agents have left the state, but he hasn't given an exact number. And those leaders that Homan mentioned meeting with, like Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, said their meetings were productive. They said they're telling Homan they want the surge of agents to end.
EMILY BRIGHT: Well, any word on what it will take for this operation to end?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Well, Homan did name a couple things that he's looking for. First, he said more cooperation with local and state law enforcement, and particularly from county jails in the State Board of Corrections, in letting ICE when they're releasing someone who ICE wants to detain. Officials with the Department of Corrections here in Minnesota have disputed claims from the federal government that they're not cooperating with immigration enforcement.
Homan also talked a lot about toning down rhetoric. He asked protesters and observers to be respectful and suggested that they are escalating situations with federal agents. Local leaders and activists, of course, have pushed back on this idea that protesters and observers are to blame for those tense interactions.
EMILY BRIGHT: Thanks, Estelle.
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: You're welcome.
EMILY BRIGHT: MPR News Reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox.
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Hi, Emily.
EMILY BRIGHT: So with this shift in leadership in the Minnesota operation, what was the tone in the room this morning?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Yeah. Well, Homan has a pretty different presence than Bovino. He talks a little more measured. He wore a suit instead of a uniform. He said that he has a goal to reduce the number of federal agents here. He talked about doing targeted enforcement, meaning arresting people with more serious criminal records. And he said that's the usual practice for Border Patrol and ICE, but he thinks this operation got away from that recently in Minneapolis. And he talked about collaborating with local officials. Here's what he said about that.
TOM HOMAN: In my meetings with folks so far, most importantly, the governor and the AG, the Mayor Frey, we didn't agree on everything. I didn't expect to agree on anything. I've heard many people want to why we're talking to people who they don't consider friends to the administration. Bottom line is you can't fix problems if you don't have discussions. I didn't come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. You haven't seen me. I came here to seek solutions, and that's what we're going to do.
EMILY BRIGHT: I understand that Homan acknowledged some missteps in the federal operations so far?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Yeah, he did. He avoided naming specific practices that he wanted to end in this operation, avoided calling out too many specific missteps. But he was candid in saying that he wouldn't be here if everything had gone perfectly.
TOM HOMAN: Nothing's ever perfect. Anything can be improved on. And what we've been working on is making this operation safer and more efficient by the book. The mission is going to improve because of the changes we're making internally.
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: And Homan emphasized that even if the number of agents is reduced, federal authorities are not abandoning this immigration enforcement effort altogether.
EMILY BRIGHT: I know Homan has been in town for a few days now, so I'm curious how has that shift in tone translating to actual practices on the street so far?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Well, local leaders here, like city council members in St. Paul and Minneapolis, have told us that they're still seeing agents in their neighborhoods making arrests. They're still hearing a lot of fear from residents. And we've still seen protesters and observers out on the streets. So not a lot of trust yet from folks that this shift in tone is really a shift in practice.
And Homan hasn't given a more concrete timeline for ending the operation. He said some agents have left the state, but he hasn't given an exact number. And those leaders that Homan mentioned meeting with, like Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, said their meetings were productive. They said they're telling Homan they want the surge of agents to end.
EMILY BRIGHT: Well, any word on what it will take for this operation to end?
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: Well, Homan did name a couple things that he's looking for. First, he said more cooperation with local and state law enforcement, and particularly from county jails in the State Board of Corrections, in letting ICE when they're releasing someone who ICE wants to detain. Officials with the Department of Corrections here in Minnesota have disputed claims from the federal government that they're not cooperating with immigration enforcement.
Homan also talked a lot about toning down rhetoric. He asked protesters and observers to be respectful and suggested that they are escalating situations with federal agents. Local leaders and activists, of course, have pushed back on this idea that protesters and observers are to blame for those tense interactions.
EMILY BRIGHT: Thanks, Estelle.
ESTELLE TIMAR-WILCOX: You're welcome.
EMILY BRIGHT: MPR News Reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox.
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