WASHINGTON/MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, was prepared to assume control of the president’s extensive immigration mission in Minneapolis on Tuesday, as the White House attempts to mitigate national fury over the second lethal shooting of a U.S. citizen this month by federal personnel.
The decision to appoint Homan in lieu of senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who informants reported is departing after having directed most of Trump’s enforcement actions in Democratic-led municipalities, is part of a wider adjustment by the president. This shift comes amid advisers’ apprehensions that the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents could impede his immigration priorities.
Trump spent the weekend consulting with senior aides to evaluate the administration’s handling of Pretti’s death on Saturday, according to a White House official and a source acquainted with the talks.
Strategic Reassessment
The discussions included diminishing the number of federal agents stationed in Minnesota, refining the ICE mission in the state to focus more specifically on deportations rather than broad-scale enforcement maneuvers, and exploring increased coordination with state authorities. Trump also considered whether immigration officers should be obligated to utilize body-worn cameras, mirroring the requirements for many police officers, according to the White House official.
The killing of Pretti, an ICU nurse shot repeatedly by Border Patrol agents on Saturday during protests, has transformed into a major political crisis for Trump, with even some Republicans in Congress demanding investigations. Coupled with the lethal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good earlier this month by an ICE officer, Pretti’s shooting ignited fresh anger over the hostile tactics of some 3,000 federal agents who have been patrolling the streets of Minneapolis for weeks.
Judicial Pressure and Contradictory Evidence
Late on Monday, Minnesota’s presiding federal judge directed the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, to appear for a contempt hearing on Friday. The judge stated the agency neglected to adhere to court orders mandating that certain detainees receive bond hearings.
“The court’s tolerance is exhausted,” U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz wrote.
Eyewitness video of Pretti’s killing was extensively circulated, refuting some Trump officials’ preliminary claims that Pretti—who was lawfully carrying a concealed firearm but never reached for it prior to being shot—represented a threat to law enforcement.
Public support for Trump’s immigration enforcement strategies appeared to be diminishing both before and after the Pretti shooting, a Reuters/Ipsos survey showed. Some Republicans have expressed concern that without a shift in methods, Trump’s mass deportation push could cost the party its congressional majorities in November’s midterm elections.
Damage Control and Diplomatic Shifts
The president held a two-hour briefing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the Oval Office on Monday evening after Noem requested the meeting. Noem’s position is not at risk, the source said.
The typically aggressive Trump has also adopted a more diplomatic tone in public statements. He described private dialogues with both Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday as constructive, while the two Democratic leaders offered similarly upbeat comments.
Walz’s office stated Trump had consented to direct DHS to guarantee state authorities could execute their own investigation into the Pretti shooting. Mayor Frey noted on X that his impression was that some federal agents would commence exiting the city on Tuesday.
Internal Friction Over Agent Conduct
Privately, Trump conveyed to advisers he did not want to justify the agent’s actions or denigrate Pretti, after Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller labeled Pretti an “assassin” and Bovino intimated he intended to “massacre” officers. Video recordings of the incident authenticated by Reuters disputed those allegations.
Senior aides were instructed not to target Pretti publicly, and the president discussed separating himself from public remarks made by Miller and Noem. Bovino, who claimed the officers who killed Pretti were the actual victims, is expected to exit Minneapolis along with various Border Patrol agents stationed with him.
Another individual familiar with the situation said Bovino had been divested of his unique title of “commander at large” and would return to his previous role as a chief patrol agent in California’s El Centro sector, before retiring shortly thereafter. However, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin disputed these reports, asserting on X: “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties”.
Controversy Over the Official Account
DHS officials characterized the incident as an assault by Pretti, claiming agents fired in self-defense after he advanced toward them with a handgun. This narrative stands in contrast to video showing Pretti holding a mobile phone, not a weapon, as agents forced him to the ground. The footage also showed officers extracting a firearm from his waistband after he was restrained, moments before they fatally shot him. Pretti was a licensed gun owner.
In another indication that support for the immigration drive was faltering, a prominent Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota, Chris Madel, withdrew his bid on Monday. “I cannot endorse the national Republicans’ declared retribution on the citizens of our state,” he said in a video address.
