By Jack Phillips
Contributing Writer
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota in the wake of the shooting of an anti-immigration enforcement protester by a federal agent.
The president said in a morning Truth Social post that Homan would be going to Minnesota on Monday evening, noting that though Homan hasn’t been involved in operations there, he knows many officials in the state.
“Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me,” Trump wrote.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in a post on Monday that Homan would be investigating fraud in Minnesota, building on a multi-agency effort that was launched several weeks ago amid reports of fraudulent activity targeting federal and state entitlement programs.
The border czar, she added, would also be managing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota to target illegal immigrants.
“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 wrote on X.
The Trump administration has launched its most ambitious immigration operation to date in Minneapolis, sparking weeks of protests by residents and resulting in two shooting deaths.
A Border Patrol agent on Saturday fired in self-defense after a man, identified later as Alex Pretti, approached with a handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him, according to the Department of Homeland Security. It followed the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of U.S citizen Renee Good during a separate immigration operation.
In posts over the weekend and in his Truth Social comment Monday, Trump has shown no sign of backing down amid the protests. On Monday, he suggested that the operation was critical.
Trump wrote that “a major investigation is going on with respect to the massive $20 billion … 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 said Sunday that the operation in Minnesota was a key part of why he won in 2024 and signaled that Democratic politicians were to blame.
“Tragically, two American citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos,” the president said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
