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By Adeola Adeosun and Gabe Whisnant
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Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and President Donald Trump held a phone call Monday morning to discuss escalating tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations in the state, marking what Trump described as a "very good" conversation where they reached a "similar wavelength."
The call came as a federal judge began hearing arguments on whether to halt the immigration crackdown that has led to two fatal shootings by federal agents in the state.
Walz reminded Trump that Minnesota's Department of Corrections already honors federal immigration detainers and has no documented cases of releasing undocumented inmates without coordinating custody transfers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to NBC News' Natasha Korecki via Walz's office on X.
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Tensions Grow in Minnesota
On Saturday, 37-year-old VA ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti was shot dead by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a physical confrontation in Minneapolis during a protest. Earlier in January, Renee Nicole Good, also 37, was shot dead by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross as she drove in his direction.
The Trump administration has defended both shootings as justified acts of self-defense. But critics say neither Pretti nor Good posed a genuine, deadly threat to federal officers, and so the force used against them cannot be justified. Multiple videos of both events fuel the competing narratives about what happened and why.
A viral photo of a 5-year-old boy with federal agents who were pursuing his undocumented father also sparked criticism from opponents of the crackdown. The administration denied that the boy was detained and said his father had run away, leaving the child behind when agents came to arrest him.
Both fatal shootings and Trump's immigration crackdown have sparked widespread protests and condemnation, with local leaders and Democrats demanding that federal officers leave Minnesota.
What To Know
Governor Walz initiated Monday's call requesting collaborative work on the ongoing ICE operations. The Minnesota governor pressed Trump on allowing impartial investigations of shootings involving federal agents and reducing the number of agents deployed in Minnesota.
Trump agreed that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension should investigate Saturday's shooting after the BCA was previously blocked by the Department of Homeland Security from accessing the scene despite holding a lawful warrant.
Walz's office emphasized that Minnesota already cooperates with federal immigration authorities. "The Governor reminded President Trump that the Minnesota Department of Corrections already honors federal detainers by notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person committed to its custody isn't a U.S. citizen," Korecki reported via the governor's office.
"There is not a single documented case of the department's releasing someone from state prison without offering to ensure a smooth transfer of custody."
Trump announced Monday he would send Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to manage ICE operations, with Homan reporting directly to the president.
During arguments before U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez on Monday, according to the Associated Press, lawyers for Minnesota and the Twin Cities argued the street situation requires immediate court intervention to halt federal immigration enforcement actions. "If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don't think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future," Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said.
The lawsuit seeks to restore conditions existing before "Operation Metro Surge" launched, requesting a reduction in federal officers to pre-surge levels and limiting enforcement operation scope. Justice Department attorneys have called the lawsuit "legally frivolous," arguing Minnesota "wants a veto over federal law enforcement."
Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison defended the lawsuit Sunday, citing "the unprecedented nature of this surge. It is a novel abuse of the Constitution that we're looking at right now."
In a separate case, U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud issued an order late Saturday blocking the Trump administration from "destroying or altering evidence" related to Saturday's shooting after state authorities reported being unable to inspect evidence collected by federal officials.
Who Is Tom Homan?
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Homan will manage ICE operations in Minnesota "to continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens."
"In addition, Tom will coordinate with those leading investigations into the massive, widespread fraud that has resulted in billions of taxpayer dollars being stolen from law-abiding citizens in Minnesota," Leavitt said on social media.
While not a formal title or role within an administration, a border czar is an official appointed by the president to advise on and coordinate federal policy for border security and immigration, spanning all of the agencies that touch on these areas.
However, Homan's deployment to Minnesota to manage ICE operations on the ground gives him a much more hands-on role than is typical for czar-style officials.
Homan was Trump's border czar back in 2019 and was reappointed to the role in 2025 at the start of the president's second administration.
He had previously served in former President Barack Obama's administration as a senior official in ICE before remaining with the agency when Trump took office. Homan has worked in federal immigration authorities since the early 1980s.
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When Did Tim Walz Deploy the National Guard?
Governor Walz deployed Minnesota National Guard members on Saturday following Pretti's fatal shooting. The deployment came at the request of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
National Guard members "mobilized from a ready posture to active support" to secure the shooting site near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue and the Whipple Federal Building, a known immigration authority staging area that has become a hotspot for protesters. According to a Minneapolis city press release, local law enforcement resources were stretched thin due to thousands of federal immigration agents operating in the city.
National Guard personnel wear neon reflective vests to distinguish themselves from other agencies and remain in close proximity to Minneapolis Police officers. The federal government has no involvement in their activities, city officials emphasized.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Update 1/26/25, 2:41 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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