White House Immigration Czar Deployed to Minneapolis to Calm Tensions
White House immigration czar Tom Homan arrived in Minnesota on Tuesday with a clear mandate from President Donald Trump: de-escalate the chaos that has engulfed Minneapolis and reset fractured relations between federal and local authorities.
Swift Action and Surprising Diplomacy
Homan moved quickly upon arrival. Within hours, he was sitting down with Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey – two Democrats who have been at war with the White House over migration enforcement operations. The meeting represented a significant bid to cool tensions and rebuild trust.
In a surprising U-turn, Governor Walz praised Homan after their discussion, telling CNN, ‘Tom Homan is a professional,’ and noting a noticeable tone shift from the Trump administration. This marked a stark departure from previous confrontations.
A Low-Key Approach Contrasts with Previous Tactics
Notably, Homan avoided the cameras, working quietly behind the scenes and declining to hold a press conference. This low-key approach marked a sharp contrast to the high-profile tactics that had previously inflamed protests and heightened community tensions.
Sources told the Daily Mail it was striking to see Democrats embracing Homan as a calming force, given his long reputation as one of the most unapologetic defenders of mass deportations in Washington. The contrast with how the city had reacted to Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino just months earlier was particularly remarkable.
From Tough Rhetoric to Operational Control
Homan’s deployment represents the first time he has been put on the ground with operational control since he left the first Trump administration as acting ICE director in 2018. In Trump’s second term, Homan was named White House immigration czar but initially held a role more focused on spokesperson duties and advising the president.
Now, a senior administration official says Homan is finally getting his chance to put his own stamp on operations – a moment insiders privately describe as make or break. This follows his July 2024 comments to an immigration panel where he boasted, ‘They ain’t seen s**t yet. Wait until 2025,’ regarding deportation efforts.
Minnesota as a Testing Ground
Administration immigration hawks will be watching closely to see if the new tone struck by Trump and Homan will result in fewer deportations in Minnesota. Trump’s supporters view the state as the number one testing ground for his promises on immigration.
Already, there have been 10,000 arrests of criminal illegal aliens across Minnesota since the start of the Trump administration, according to a Department of Homeland Security official. The White House will now monitor the numbers closely to assess effectiveness.
‘The question now is can he de-escalate the scene in Minneapolis and at the same time still get the job done,’ a source familiar with the dynamic told the Daily Mail.
Internal Dynamics and Leadership Challenges
Despite his tough rhetoric, Homan has largely been sidelined by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. When Trump selected Noem as DHS head, immigration officials were surprised it was not Homan. Conversations in Washington revealed Trump made the choice as a favour to his long-time advisor Cory Lewandowski, now working for Noem.
Initially, the plan was for Noem to handle public-facing DHS roles like disaster efforts and security, while Immigration Czar Tom Homan would lead deportation and immigration operations. However, once confirmed, Noem sidelined Homan and took command with repeated appearances at immigration enforcement operations wearing combat gear and body armour.
Although critics mocked Noem as ‘ICE Barbie’ on social media, Trump frequently praised her public appearances. Noem appointed several experts to shake up the status quo, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller empowering her efforts as part of his quest for more deportations and tougher enforcement.
Results and Rivalries
Noem boasted significant results, marking Trump’s one-year anniversary by announcing that more than 675,000 illegal immigrants had been deported and an estimated 2.2 million had ‘self-deported’ as a result of administration policies. However, this approach rubbed some seasoned officials the wrong way, creating tensions within the administration.
Trump has little patience for the infighting between Noem, Lewandowski and Homan, repeatedly demanding they end the drama. The president views them as being on the same team with the same mission, defending his decision to send in Homan as part of his leadership style.
‘I do that all the time. I shake up teams,’ he told reporters in Iowa. ‘We have a great team.’
Homan’s Philosophy and Background
The chaotic scenes in Minneapolis threatened the president’s success as riots against immigration officials escalated for weeks. Sources say this would have particularly bothered Homan, whose philosophy focuses primarily on catching and deporting the ‘worst of the worst,’ while picking up other illegal immigrants encountered during operations.
A seasoned immigration official who helped lead deportations for past presidents – including during Barack Obama’s administration – Homan understands the dangers of bad public optics. He was famously awarded the Presidential Rank Award for distinguished service by Obama and was prominently featured in a Washington Post article for his efforts.
‘We don’t do schoolhouse raids or neighborhood raids. We don’t show up with bulletproof vests,’ Homan told the Post in a nearly ten-year-old interview. ‘I’m not ashamed of what I do.’ He keeps that article framed in his office as a reminder of his record and the changing tone toward immigration enforcement.
Administration Confidence
At the White House podium, press secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted both the picture of former President Obama awarding Homan the medal and the Washington Post headline from years ago. She expressed confidence that this approach would continue under President Trump.
‘He’s obviously very qualified, he has the full trust and faith of the president,’ she said, underscoring the administration’s support for Homan’s Minneapolis mission.
