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State and local officials and community groups opposing the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota reacted skeptically Wednesday to news that 700 federal agents will leave the state.

about 2,000 federal agents would remain in the state following the drawdown, still far more than the 150 he said would typically be in Minnesota. Homan said he wanted to get back to that “normal operational footprint.”

News of federal agent drawdown met with skepticism, calls for more action

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the drawdown “a step in the right direction” but said the White House needed to move faster. 

 that “2,000 ICE officers still here is not de-escalation” — and reiterated his call for the federal operation to end immediately.

 for “a faster and larger drawdown of forces, state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution.”

A coalition of Minnesota faith, labor and other community groups opposed to the federal operation called Homan’s announcement a “political stunt,” saying that “there are still thousands of masked, unaccountable agents terrorizing our communities, attacking peaceful observers, and undermining Minnesotans’ constitutional and civil rights.”

Minnesotans outside the Whipple Federal Building and near the memorials for Alex Pretti and Renee Good offer their reactions to news of 700 federal agents being ordered to leave the state.

Minnesotans react to news of a 'draw-down' of federal agents

In an interview with MPR News, the leader of one of those groups questioned Homan’s assertion that federal agents will leave when observers stop interfering with agents.

“There's no interference in making sure children that should be at school, should be at peace and should be taken care of are able to do that every morning,” said Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, Executive Director of Unidos Minnesota. “Are these acts supposed to happen in the dark?”

— Clay Masters, Gretchen Brown and MPR News staff

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Immigration enforcement in Minnesota

The latest on ICE in Minnesota

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Clay Masters

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Gretchen Brown

The White House said Wednesday that 700 agents would leave Minnesota. Critics of the ICE surge noted that some 2,000 agents would remain on the ground. Gov. Tim Walz called for a “faster and larger drawdown of forces” and “an end to this campaign of retribution.”

News of federal agent drawdown met with skepticism, calls for more action

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