A senior Border Patrol commander and some agents are expected to leave Minneapolis as early as Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The departure of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the center of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in cities nationwide, comes as President Donald Trump to Minnesota to take charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The person familiar with the matter was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Bovino’s departure marks a significant public shift in federal law enforcement posture amid mounting outrage over the fatal shooting of by Border Patrol agents. Criticism has increased around Bovino in the last few days after his public defense of the Pretti shooting and disputed claims about the confrontation that led to his death.
Here's the latest:
Dozens of protesters gather outside hotel where they believe Bovino is staying
People blew whistles, banged pots and one person blasted a trombone. Police watched and kept them away from the hotel entrance.
Matthew Mottl said he and his wife had been feeling “helpless†watching the violence unfolding in the Twin Cities and believed that showing up to make noise outside the hotel where protesters believed Bovino was staying was one small way to signal their opposition.
“It’s been a nightmare the last couple of weeks,†he said. “The lack of kindness, the lack of compassion, the lack of respect. The total disregard for the law. It’s really, really sad to know that there are people like that out there — and that a lot of them are employed by the federal government.â€
Sister of Alex Pretti says he was kind, generous and lit up every room
The younger sister of Alex Pretti issued a statement Monday memorializing her big brother’s kindness and criticizing “disgusting lies†told in the wake of his death.
Micayla Pretti called her brother a hero and thanked everyone who had reached out to the family with messages or posts she described as sharing the overwhelming positivity that reflected his character, work ethic and passions.
“All Alex ever wanted was to help someone — anyone,†she said. “Even in his very last moments on this earth, he was simply trying to do just that.â€
Alex Pretti was an intensive care nurse, and through his work at the Veterans Administration, “he touched more lives than he probably ever realized,†his sister said.
She lamented how some have portrayed her brother.
“When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough?†Micayla Pretti asked. “Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching.â€
Minneapolis mayor says some federal agents will begin leaving
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he spoke to Trump about the immigration crackdown in his city and some federal officers will begin leaving.
Frey said he asked Trump in a phone call to end the immigration enforcement surge and that Trump agreed the present situation cannot continue.
Frey said some agents will begin leaving Tuesday. The mayor said he would keep pushing for others involved in Operation Metro Surge to go.
Trump posted on social media that he had a good conversation with Frey.
“Lots of progress is being made!†he wrote.
Noem expected to appear before Senate Judiciary Committee in March
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time on March 3 after months of negotiations with Republicans, according to a person familiar with the private talks who requested anonymity to discuss them.
The agreement follows the Minneapolis shooting over the weekend. Democrats have criticized Noem and other officials for saying Pretti “approached†immigration officers with a gun and acted violently when video evidence appears to show otherwise.
Senators from both parties had expressed frustration as Noem has so far not appeared for a routine oversight hearing before the Judiciary panel, which oversees the Department of Homeland Security along with several other committees. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina was holding up some department nominees over her refusal to appear.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel, said in a statement that Noem should testify sooner.
“With all of the violence and deaths involving DHS, the Secretary is apparently in no hurry to account for her mismanagement of this national crisis,†Durbin said.
Border Patrol commander Bovino and some agents expected to leave Minneapolis
A senior Border Patrol commander and some agents are expected to leave Minneapolis as early as Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The departure of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the center of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in cities nationwide, comes as Trump dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The person familiar with the matter was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Bovino’s departure marks a significant public shift in federal law enforcement posture amid mounting outrage over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.
His leadership of highly visible federal crackdowns, including operations that sparked mass demonstrations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and Minneapolis, has drawn fierce criticism from local officials, civil rights advocates and congressional Democrats.
Criticism has increased around Bovino in the last few days after his public defense of the Pretti shooting and disputed claims about the confrontation that led to his death.
-By Mike Balsamo
Amid calls to end immigration crackdown, congressional Democrats hold hearing on New Orleans operation
Democrats on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee held a congressional field hearing in New Orleans Monday on a recent federal immigration enforcement operation in south Louisiana.
Residents and city leaders lambasted federal officials over “Catahoula Crunch†– the deployment of hundreds of immigration agents to, and around, the blue city. The operation began in December and
Mayor Helena Moreno said while Homeland Security officials described the operation as targeting the “worst of the worst†that was not the case. Moreno said “non-violent individuals†were “overwhelmingly targeted and profiled†by agents, causing “widespread fear.†Documents showed the majority of people arrested in the Louisiana crackdown’s first days lacked criminal records.
Advocates called for sweeping changes to immigration enforcement, with some suggesting the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many reiterated concerns over the constitutionality of raids and detention – pointing to not only New Orleans but also in Minnesota that’s led to the of two people by government officers.
“What we saw here, and now in much more severe fashion, in Minneapolis is no longer an issue of immigration, public safety or even politics,†Moreno said. “This is a cruel, divisive agenda lacking humanity.â€
The Federal Aviation Administration bars drones from flying near immigration enforcement operations
The Federal Aviation Administration has created a no-fly zone for drones near immigration enforcement operations, including moving vehicle convoys.
The agency issued the earlier this month, prohibiting unmanned aircraft from operating within 1,000 feet above or 3,000 feet adjacent to Department of Homeland Security assets, including ground vehicle convoys and escorts.
The no-fly zone also includes Department of Defense, Department of Energy and Department of Homeland Security facilities, and the FAA says violators can face criminal and civil penalties. The area around the immigration enforcement operations is considered “national defense airspace,†according to the notice.
The Jan. 16 notice expands nationwide and does not have an end date. It says drone operators should coordinate in advance with the appropriate federal entities, but does not say how drone operators are expected to identify moving no-fly zones when immigration raids or other federal vehicle convoys are not announced in advance.
Senate Homeland Security chairman schedules Feb. 12 hearing with Homeland Security Department officials
The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is inviting three top Homeland Security Department officials to testify before Congress after a fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., sent letters Tuesday to the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) inviting them to a hearing on Feb. 12. His letters come after the GOP chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, requested a similar hearing over the weekend.
In the letters, Paul wrote that Congress has a duty to oversee taxpayer dollars and “ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement and, most importantly, protect the American people.â€
Republican congressman, Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate says he’s not seen Pretti video
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, also a candidate for Wisconsin governor, said Monday he has not seen any of the videos of Alex Pretti being shot and killed by a federal Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis.
“I have not seen the video,†Tiffany told reporters at a news conference called to release his property tax plan.
Tiffany said he was also not aware of comments from Trump administration officials alleging that Pretti was a “would-be assassin†who intended to “massacre†federal agents.
“I didn’t see those comments, but I’d have to see the context of them,†Tiffany said.
Tiffany said he supports a “full investigation†into what happened that includes Minnesota officials working with those from the federal government. He called the loss of life in Minnesota “tragic.â€
“Let’s get all the facts on the table and be sure to make a reasoned decision in what has been a chaotic time,†Tiffany said.
Tiffany is a strong supporter of Trump and said that if elected governor of Wisconsin he would work closely with federal immigration officers.
Leavitt says WH doesn’t want dispute over Minneapolis to disrupt government funding
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump wants to see the bipartisan spending package passed this week to avoid the possibility of a government shutdown.
Leavitt said that “policy discussions on immigration in Minnesota are happening†and that Trump as president “is leading those discussions.†But she said those conversations “should not be at the expense of government funding for the American people.â€
“We absolutely do not want to see that funding lapse,†Leavitt said. “And we want the Senate to move forward with passing the bipartisan appropriations package that was negotiated on a bipartisan basis.
Minnesota attorney general: Judge’s decision on immigration crackdown has ‘great ramifications’ for nation
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says a federal judge’s decision on whether to halt an immigration crackdown in the state will have major ramifications for the rest of the nation.
“This decision is extremely important to the sovereignty of every single state,†Ellison said shortly after the hearing before U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez came to a close on Monday. State and Twin Cities officials have asked Menendez to order a halt to the crackdown.
“We’re asking for preliminary relief,†he later continued. “The case will go on. But what is decided in Minnesota, overall, this case, and everything that we’re doing to try to protect our state, has great ramifications for the rest of the country.â€
Menendez’ ruling will not weigh in on the merits of the case, but instead determine if the crackdown needs to stop temporarily while the lawsuit moves forward in court.
“We’re never going to stop defending Minnesota, If things go our way, great. If they don’t, we’re right back to the drawing board,†Ellison said. “The moment will never arrive when we stop fighting for this state. Full stop.â€
Leavitt says WH border czar Tom Homan will now be point of contact in Minneapolis
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, would be “the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis†during continued operations by federal immigration officers.
That marks something of a change as Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino had been the public face of operations in the city.
Leavitt said that Bovino would “very much continue to lead Customs and Border Patrol, throughout and across the country.â€
Leavitt says Pretti’s decision to bring gun was ‘raising the assumption of risk’
“While Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, Americans do not have a constitutional right to impede lawful immigration enforcement operations,†Leavitt said, adding that, when an armed person is confronted by law enforcement, “you are raising the assumption of risk, and the risk of a force being used against you.â€
Leavitt was asked about FBI Director Kash Patel’s remarks that someone could not bring a loaded firearm to a protest.
Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota, but that they had never known him to carry it.
The Department of Homeland Security has said Pretti was shot after he “approached†Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun but did not specify if he brandished it.
Leavitt says she hasn’t heard Trump commit to release of body camera footage of slain Minneapolis protester
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the news briefing that she has not heard Trump commit to release body camera footage from federal immigration officers involved in the shooting and killing of Alex Pretti, who was protesting the administration’s actions.
Leavitt later said that the administration is talking with members of Congress about requirements to have federal immigration officers wear body cameras.
Leavitt says Trump still has ‘utmost confidence and trust’ in Noem
Asked if Noem had made a mistake that led Trump to send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, Leavitt said no.
Noting that Noem oversees “the entire Department of Homeland Security,†Leavitt stressed that includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is managing response to “a brutal winter storm, where hundreds of thousands of Americans have been impacted by that.â€
Leavitt said that Homan “is in a unique position to drop everything and go to Minnesota to continue having these productive conversations with state and local officials,†adding that he would be “catching a plane in just a few hours to do just that, at the at the request of the president.â€
Leavitt says she has not heard Trump call killed Minneapolis protester a domestic terrorist
White House press secretary says that she has “not heard the president characterize†as a domestic terrorist Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis protester shot and killed on Saturday by a federal immigration officer.
That marks something of a difference with the message of other administration officials. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has labeled Pretti as committing an act of domestic terrorism.
Leavitt said she has “heard the president say he wants to get the facts on the investigation†of the shooting
Press secretary puts distance between Trump and ‘assassin’ rhetoric on Pretti
Asked about deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller’s social media characterization of Pretti, without offering any evidence, as “an assassin†who “tried to murder federal agents,†Leavitt stressed that Trump hadn’t used such words.
“This has obviously been a very fluid and fast moving situation throughout the weekend,†Leavitt said, adding that Trump “has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead.â€
Asked if Miller would apologize to Pretti’s family, Leavitt again turned to Trump’s position.
“Nobody here at the White House, including the president of the United States, wants to see Americans hurt and losing their lives,†she said.
WH blames Minnesota Democrats for the shooting deaths of protesters
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the shooting and killing by a federal immigration officer of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti “occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota.â€
Her remarks showed the administration still seeks to blame the violence on political rivals, despite Trump seeking to ease tensions by saying Monday that he had a productive phone conversation with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The White House continues to say that resistance to Trump’s agenda is what led to the shootings and killings of Pretti and Renee Good after ICE agents have engaged in aggressive operations in Minnesota.
Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other elected Democrats “were spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers,†Leavitt said at the White House briefing.
“They have also used their platforms to encourage Left-Wing agitators to stalk, record, confront, and obstruct federal officers who were just trying to lawfully perform their duties, which has created dangerous situations threatening both these officers and the general public and Minnesotans alike,†Leavitt said.
White House says 3 federal reviews underway of Pretti shooting
During a briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that a trio of “active investigations†and internal probes of the shooting were underway by federal agencies.
Leavitt said that the Department of Homeland Security and FBI were investigating the shooting and that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was “conducting their own internal review.â€
“As President Trump said yesterday, the administration is reviewing everything with respect to the shooting, and we will let that investigation play out,†Leavitt added.
Texas governor says White House needs to ‘recalibrate’ ICE efforts in Minnesota
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been a strong supporter of Trump’s crackdown on immigration, said Monday the White House needs to “recalibrate†what it is doing in Minnesota.
Abbott spoke with conservative radio host Mark Davis and said immigration agents deserve respect as law enforcement.
Abbott said he believes the White House is working on a “game plan†for immigration agents to “go about their job in a more structured way to make sure that they are going to be able to remove these people, but without causing all the kinds of problems and fighting in communities that they are experiencing right now.â€
Abbott also blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor for not doing enough to calm the situation on the ground.
Massachusetts governor renews call for Noem’s resignation
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey renewed her calls for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign when asked by reporters on Monday.
In a lengthy response, Healey accused the head of the FBI of not understanding the Second Amendment and Attorney General Pam Bondi of extorting Minnesota for its voter rolls.
Healey added that Trump’s administration was “doing a huge disservice†to the American public.
Hearing on Minnesota’s argument’s seeking to block immigration enforcement surge ends
Monday’s hearing in federal court on Minnesota and the Twin Cities’ suit aiming to halt the Trump administration’s surge of immigration law enforcement has ended without the judge ruling from the bench.
U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez emphasized the urgency of the case, saying she plans to issue a written opinion, though didn’t specify when.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’ office says call with Trump was ‘productive’
A Monday morning call between Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz about fatal shootings by immigration officers appears to have been well-received by both sides.
Walz’ office said the call was “productive.â€
“The Governor made the case that we need impartial investigations of the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, and that we need to reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota,†his office wrote in a release.
Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both Minnesota residents and U.S. citizens, were fatally shot and killed by federal immigration officers in separate incidents in Minneapolis.
Trump agreed to talk to the Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, Walz’ office said, and also agreed to look into either reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota or working with the state “in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals.â€
Trump wrote in a social media post earlier Monday that the two “actually†seem to be on the same page in wanting to work together on immigration issues in Minnesota. He said the people the administration is seeking “are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession†and Walz “very respectfully, understood that.â€
More than 3,000 immigration officers are taking part in Minnesota surge, federal attorney says
More than 3,000 federal immigration officers are part of the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, a Department of Justice attorney told a federal judge on Monday.
Brantley Mayers, counsel to the DOJ’s assistant attorney general, told U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez that at least 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and at least 1,000 Customs and Border Patrol officers were part of the operation, and that he would provide her with an exact number later.
Minnesota state and Twin Cities officials have asked Menendez to halt the immigration crackdown, which has led to widespread unrest. Two Minnesota residents have been shot and killed by immigration officials since the crackdown began.
Menendez asked Mayers why so many officers were needed. Mayers said it had to do with complications surrounding how immigration officers typically stage for enforcement operations, gathering in parking lots.
Twin Cities officials have taken steps to prohibit city-owned parking lots and garages from being used in immigration enforcement operations. Chicago officials took similar steps after immigration crackdowns in that city last year.
Democratic congressman tells supporters he regrets voting for DHS funding package
“I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis,†Rep. Tom Suozzi posted on social media. “I hear the anger from many of my constituents, and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE’s unlawful behavior and I must do a better job demonstrating that.â€
Suozzi was one of the seven moderate Democrats who voted with Republicans last week to pass a tranche of funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The congressman from New York added that the “senseless and tragic murder of Alex Pretti underscores what happens when untrained federal agents operate without accountability.â€
He called on Trump to end ICE’s enhanced enforcement operation in Minnesota.
