Washington — After two Americans were killed in separate shootings involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis last month, President Donald Trump said the federal response in the Twin Cities has taught him the value of using “a little bit of a softer touch,” while still maintaining a firm stance on enforcement.
The president made the remark in an NBC News interview broadcast Wednesday. The deaths being investigated are those of Renée Good, who was shot Jan. 7, and Alex Pretti, who died Jan. 24. Both incidents occurred amid a surge of immigration agents dispatched to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area that began more than two months ago.
Border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that he would reduce the number of federal immigration and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis by 700, saying the decrease reflected an “unprecedented” level of cooperation between some county officials and federal immigration authorities. Homan added that several counties have agreed to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to take custody of migrants directly from local jails.
Asked whether he ordered the reduction in federal personnel, Mr. Trump said the decision did come from him. “Yes, it did,” he told NBC News. He said part of the administration’s stance was tied to expecting local officials to turn over people they consider dangerous. “We are waiting for them to release prisoners. Give us the murderers that they’re holding, and all of the bad people, drug dealers, all of the bad people,” the president said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have been publicly critical of the administration’s operations in the city. Last month, CBS News reported that the Justice Department was investigating both officials over an alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Mr. Trump said he had personally called the governor and the mayor and described his conversations as positive, then expressed surprise at their public criticism. “I’ve called the governor, I’ve called the mayor, spoke to him, had great conversations with him, and then I see them ranting and raving out there, literally as though a call wasn’t made,” he told NBC News.
On Capitol Hill Wednesday, Renée Good’s brothers, Luke and Brent Ganger, spoke publicly for the first time since her death. Luke Ganger described the family’s grief and frustration, saying their “deep distress” over Nay’s violent death has been compounded by a sense that meaningful change has not followed. “In the last few weeks, our family took some consolation thinking that perhaps Nay’s death would bring about change in our country. And it has not,” he said.