Statement on Tom Homan's Plan to 'Draw Down' Immigration Agents in Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN (February 12, 2026) - On February 12, 2026, White House border czar Tom Homan announced a plan to "draw down" immigration agents from the State of Minnesota. The so-called "Metro Surge" operation that began two-plus months ago involves more than 2,000 federal agents supposedly enforcing immigration laws. The reality is that those federal agents have killed Minnesota residents on the streets and in detention centers, harmed and injured numerous others through violent retaliation and wanton disregard for human life, trampled on constitutional rights, embraced racial profiling, thrown lives into chaos, and impeded access to education and medical care. Many of these actions were blatantly unjustified and unlawful.
The Advocates for Human Rights, headquartered in Minnesota for more than 40 years, welcomes any commitment to the rule of law and an end to human rights abuses by ICE agents in our communities. While The Advocates applauds the announced draw down of ICE agents from Minnesota, we also recognize the persistence of the underlying problem. Until elected officials address DHS's underlying motives and the tactics that have led to unjustified harm, and until we are able to hold those responsible accountable, this threat to democracy remains.
"Despite the draw down, DHS's history of constitutional violations makes clear that they have no interest in the rule of law, humane treatment, or common sense. This is apparent in their budgetary and spending priorities: they direct a firehose of funds to expanding the use of armed agents, coercive detention, and surveillance and military technology," said Michele Garnett McKenzie, Executive Director at The Advocates for Human Rights. "At the same time, the flow of funds devoted to processing applications and to immigration court has slowed to a trickle, leaving immigrants trapped in legal limbo."
It is important not to let the gesture of a draw down in Minnesota distract from the ongoing human rights abuses here and across the nation. Operation PARRIS (Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening) continues unabated. This initiative has DHS conducting new, intensive background checks and re-interviews on thousands of refugees awaiting permanent residence status, turning their lives upside down. This is alongside an attempt to end access to asylum, limit immigration benefits, gut lifesaving protections, and target those who stand in their way. "DHS has for far too long been handed billions in blank checks without accountability. DHS's resources, combined with gaps in our immigration laws, allow them to inflict serious harm. Operation Metro Surge has simply exposed these long-standing problems in stark daylight," continued Garnett McKenzie.
DHS' rhetoric around the draw down attempts to shift focus to "sanctuary" states and cities. Homan claims that they are leaving as a result of "unprecedented levels of coordination" between federal officials and Minnesota leaders. This appears to be primarily a face-saving fiction—Homan announced no new agreements or state or local policies at the press conference. Instead, the truth is that DHS is leaving because Minnesotans rejected their unconstitutional attacks on our neighbors, our safety, and our communities. If the draw down proceeds as stated, we must maintain that strong support for the rights of our fellow Minnesotans, keeping the pressure on local law enforcement to remain focused on local community safety priorities no matter what DHS claims. We can make it clear to the nation that holding communities hostage through violent immigration enforcement will not succeed in coercing us to abandon our family, our friends, or our neighbors.
This struggle is not over. DHS may be "drawing down" in Minnesota but they are not leaving. They will try to take the coercive tactics displayed in Minnesota elsewhere. The next step is in Congress, which must refuse to provide further DHS funding without meaningful reforms. We must remain united in our determination to demand accountability for the rights they violated, justice for those who were harmed, and lasting changes to a broken immigration system that allows these abuses to flourish.
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