President Donald Trump recently spoke about the federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and what he said he’d learned from the serious events that happened there. His comments came after two people — Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens — were shot and killed by federal immigration officers during the operation. These deaths sparked protests in Minneapolis and across the country and raised concerns about how federal agents are carrying out immigration enforcement.
The immigration operation in Minneapolis — sometimes called Operation Metro Surge — began late last year and involved a large number of federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Officials said the goal was to arrest and deport people in the country illegally, especially those suspected of serious crimes or connected to a fraud investigation in Minnesota. At its peak, the operation included around 3,000 federal officers, far more than Minnesota normally sees.
But the mission quickly became controversial. Tension grew between federal agents and local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who both publicly criticized the heavy-handed tactics being used and called for changes. Protests broke out as community members voiced their anger over the deaths of Good and Pretti and questioned the federal approach.
In an interview with NBC News, President Trump admitted that the federal government may need to adopt what he called a “softer touch” in its immigration enforcement. He said that while it’s important to be tough on serious criminals, federal actions should be carried out in ways that don’t escalate conflict or harm innocent people. “I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch,” Trump said. “But you still have to be tough.”
Trump also confirmed that he was behind the recent decision to pull 700 federal agents out of Minnesota. Border czar Tom Homan announced the drawdown, which reduced the number of federal officers in the state to about 2,000. Trump described this move as part of the new approach and said it came after increased cooperation with local authorities and better arrangements to transfer custody of individuals from county jails directly to ICE.
Even though hundreds of agents are leaving, the federal presence in Minneapolis remains significant and far above what would be normal in the area. Local leaders have said that the remaining number is still too high and continues to strain relationships between the federal government and the Minneapolis community.
Trump also defended the broader goals of his immigration policy, repeating that the focus is on removing what he calls the “worst of the worst” — people with histories of serious crimes. He blamed previous administrations for what he described as lax border policies and said that federal law enforcement must still prioritize public safety.
The deaths of Good and Pretti continue to be investigated, and they remain central to the debate over how immigration enforcement should be carried out. Trump called the shootings “sad incidents” that “should not have happened,” but also stood by the idea that federal agents need strong support to do their jobs.
The Minneapolis situation has highlighted deep divisions in the U.S. about immigration policy, enforcement tactics, and the role of federal agents. Some people have welcomed Trump’s openness to changing tone, while others say that the changes don’t go far enough and that a full pullback of federal enforcement in cities that don’t want it is needed. The controversy has also encouraged legal actions and further protests, as national discussions about immigration continue.
