Federal border czar Tom Homan says a plan is in the works to reduce the federal footprint from Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis — but he made it crystal clear the drawdown is conditional on common-sense cooperation from state and local officials. Americans who believe in law and order should welcome a de-escalation that is sensible and strategic, not one dictated by political pressure.
This operation was massive: court records and reporting show federal deployments ballooned into the thousands, and the surge has been followed by chaotic confrontations that tragically cost two American lives. These are not abstract statistics; the deaths have left families shattered and civic disorder in their wake, underscoring how deadly a breakdown of order can become.
Homan arrived to take direct control, removed the embattled Border Patrol commander overseeing the mission, and vowed to tighten operations and make them “by the book” while not surrendering the president’s mission on immigration enforcement. Conservatives should applaud an honest, disciplined approach that fixes mistakes instead of retreating from the fundamental duty to protect our borders and communities.
Yet Homan warned that any meaningful drawdown hinges on practical cooperation: access to undocumented individuals who are in state prisons and county jails, and clear lines of communication with local law enforcement. If local officials refuse to work in good faith, federal officers will have no choice but to keep boots on the ground to fulfill their mission — that is simple common sense.
As conservative commentator Gary Lane rightly warned, agitators have run wild in Minneapolis and too many protesters are being manipulated by bigger political forces with darker agendas. Calming tensions is not surrendering principle — it is saving lives and restoring order so honest communities can rebuild without fear.
Now is the time for Minnesota leaders to act like grown-ups and put public safety above politics. Cooperate with federal partners, identify and prosecute the violent actors, and stop playing games with people’s lives; the hardworking citizens of Minneapolis deserve better than chaos and hollow slogans.
