Two federal agents have shot and killed anti-ICE protesters this month in Minneapolis.
The chaos on the ground just got so violent that one federal agent is permanently maimed.
Donald Trump responded by sending someone who reports directly to him – and what that person is authorized to do will shock Democrats who thought they could keep obstructing ICE forever.
Tom Homan Takes Command After ICE Agent Permanently Maimed in Minneapolis
Trump revealed Monday morning that Homan is heading to Minnesota tonight to manage Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on the ground in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The move comes after federal agents were forced to abandon a targeted arrest last week when crowds swarmed the scene, assaulted officers, and turned it into total chaos.
U.S. Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino said during a Sunday press conference that the suspect they were trying to arrest escaped because protesters interfered with the operation.
The violence wasn't just shoving and screaming. One ICE agent lost part of his finger when a protester bit it off during the confrontation.
"This individual is still roaming the streets today," Bovino said. "This individual walks the streets today because of those choices made by politicians and those, perhaps, weaker-minded constituents that chose to follow directions of those politicians. Sad state of affairs."
Trump made it clear in his Truth Social announcement that Homan will report directly to him, bypassing the existing ICE leadership structure in Minnesota. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Homan will be managing ICE operations and coordinating with investigators looking into massive welfare fraud in the state.
Alex Pretti and Renee Good: Two Dead in Three Weeks of Border Patrol Operations
The deployment comes after federal agents shot and killed two anti-ICE protesters this month – Renee Nicole Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti over the weekend.
Good was shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross after agents surrounded her vehicle and ordered her out. Ross fired three shots as her SUV began moving forward, killing the 37-year-old mother of three.
Pretti's killing Saturday morning sparked fresh outrage. The 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital was filming federal agents with his phone when agents pepper-sprayed him and wrestled him to the ground. Border Patrol agents shot him multiple times while roughly six federal officers surrounded him.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Pretti approached agents with a handgun and "violently resisted" attempts to disarm him. But videos show Pretti holding his phone – not a gun – before he was shot. The videos also show a federal agent in a gray jacket removing a weapon from Pretti and moving away less than one second before another agent opened fire.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a Minnesota permit to carry and had no criminal record. O'Hara pointed out that two of the three homicides in Minneapolis in 2026 so far were committed by federal immigration enforcement – not by criminals on the street.
"The Minneapolis Police Department went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds and hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn't shoot anyone," O'Hara said on Face the Nation.
Trump Links $20 Billion Minnesota Welfare Fraud to Violent Protests
Trump directly linked the violent protests to a massive fraud investigation that he says has cost taxpayers more than $20 billion in Minnesota.
"Separately, a major investigation is going on with respect to the massive 20 Billion Dollar, Plus, Welfare Fraud that has taken place in Minnesota, and is at least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The fraud scandal centers on COVID-era welfare programs exploited through schemes involving child nutrition and daycare subsidies. The most prominent case involved the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which prosecutors say orchestrated a $250 million scam – the largest fraud scheme in pandemic history.
More than 90 people have been charged in connection with various fraud cases in Minnesota, with more than 60 already convicted. Most of the defendants are of Somali descent, which has focused attention on Minnesota's large Somali-American community.
Federal prosecutors revealed in December that as much as half of the roughly $18 billion in Medicaid funds supporting 14 Minnesota programs since 2018 may have been stolen through fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson called it "staggering, industrial-scale fraud."
Trump also announced Monday that the Justice Department and Congress are investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Somali-born Democrat who represents Minneapolis. Trump noted she "left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars."
House Republicans opened an investigation into Omar on January 17 over her "skyrocketing family wealth." Omar has been a vocal critic of Trump's immigration policies and accused him of having a "creepy" obsession with her after he called the Somali community "garbage" last month.
Operation Metro Surge Deploys 2,400 Federal Agents as Walz Demands ICE Withdrawal
The Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge in early January, deploying what officials called the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out. More than 2,400 federal agents descended on the Minneapolis-St. Paul area – more than double the city's 600 local police officers.
The massive federal presence includes both ICE deportation officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents focused on the fraud investigations. Homan's deployment signals Trump wants a more targeted strategy focused on criminal illegal aliens rather than the raw numbers approach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has pursued.
Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have repeatedly demanded Trump remove federal agents from Minnesota. After Pretti's killing, Frey told federal agents to "get the fuck out of Minneapolis."
Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard and proclaimed January 9 as "Renee Good Day." He's accused the Trump administration of governance "designed to generate fear, headlines and conflict."
But federal officials say organized agitators are deliberately interfering with operations to protect criminal illegal aliens. The agent with the bitten-off finger proves these aren't peaceful protests – they're violent attacks designed to let criminals escape justice.
Homan arrives in Minnesota tonight. Trump made it clear he'll be the one calling the shots now.
Sources:
- Anders Hagstrom and Emma Colton, "Trump deploys border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota as ICE operations face violent chaos," Fox News, January 26, 2026.
- Graham Kates, "Rep. Ilhan Omar says federal probe into Minnesota's welfare fraud is 'creating confusion and chaos,'" CBS News, January 12, 2026.
- "Trump says US Justice Department 'looking at' Ilhan Omar's wealth," Al Jazeera, January 26, 2026.
- "2 federal hearings Monday after Border Patrol kills Alex Pretti; Trump sending Tom Homan to Minnesota," CBS News, January 26, 2026.
- "Killing of Renée Good," Wikipedia, accessed January 26, 2026.
- "Killing of Alex Pretti," Wikipedia, accessed January 26, 2026.
- "What to know about Minnesota's 'industrial-scale fraud' scandal, as more charges are filed and Trump weighs in," CBS News, December 19, 2025.
