There appears to be a bit of a vibe shift going on in Minnesota. As RedState reported, following reports that President Donald Trump and agents within ICE and CBP were not happy with DHS leadership's response to the shooting of Alex Pretti, once-sidelined Border Czar Tom Homan was sent in to take over operations. The maneuvering also included the president speaking to both Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Trump Ignores the Online Noise, Makes Big Changes in Minnesota Immigration Operation
Some on the right took that as a sign of "surrender," but Homan is not known for his lax enforcement of immigration law, though he is known for putting tactical effectiveness over online shouting matches. Sure enough, Trump's changes appear to be already paying dividends. That includes the Walz-controlled Minnesota State Patrol finally being unleashed on left-wing rioters.
Minnesota State Patrol has now been activated. They could have done this the whole time, but it wasn’t until after the call between Walz and Trump, and the discovery of the Signal groups involving Minnesota government officials, that this happened.pic.twitter.com/nTTAtRgZ3r
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) January 27, 2026
BREAKING 🚨: About a dozen more protestors have just been arrested for refusing to disperse the area. pic.twitter.com/CAzXCFwwM3
— Anthony (@anthonycabassa) January 27, 2026
In those videos, those in neon green vests are MSP, while the others are local police. The hotel they are at was targeted by the rioters because they believed Border Patrol was staying there. I was told by a source that they used a license plate number to make that determination. Yes, the rioters are driving around hotel parking lots, checking license plate numbers, looking for CBP and ICE vehicles. That's how organized they are.
The same source also told me that law enforcement officials were tipped off to this riot, which is why they were prepared to declare an unlawful assembly quickly and already kitted out in crowd-control gear. In other words, it wasn't a last-minute call for help over the radio that spawned MSP involvement. Walz had to have signed off on this, or at the very least, he didn't prevent their participation, which is notable.
While we don't quite yet know whether this is the start of a broader trend, it's a good and necessary start. Any policing of these left-wing rioters and protesters will only help CBP and ICE in their mission to enforce immigration law. On that front, I want to share a quote from my initial write-up on Trump's maneuvering because I think it's instructive to what we are now seeing.
Strategic and tactical considerations, whether that be regarding the operation on the ground or what is presented to the public, do not boil down to simply finding the nearest brick wall and repeatedly running into it.
To expound on that, there is a possible outcome where Trump doesn't "back down" in the eyes of those only concerned with optics and Fox News hits, but the result is fewer deportations. On the other hand, there is a possible outcome where, after applying so much pressure early on, the president garners help from state and local officials, resulting in more deportations with far less chaos.
Trump's shift in leadership and approach wasn't a surrender. It was an attempt to adapt to the highly volatile situation on the ground. In an actual war, effective generals attempt to outmaneuver their opponents. They don't just run directly at the enemy, declaring victory because they didn't "back down." Federal immigration officials aren't faceless pawns. They are real people doing a dangerous job, and if a shift in strategy can mitigate some risks, then everyone else should calm down and give it time to play out.
Is it a certainty that this will end well? Of course, not, but there are no certainties with anything. Let Homan and Trump work. If in six months, deportations are actually down, then everyone can set their hair on fire.
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