Trump told NBC News the decision to pull 700 officers from state came from him, but that administration is ‘waiting for [Minnesota] to release prisoners’ – key US politics stories from 4 February 2026 at a glance
Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said about 700 federal agents would leave Minnesota, a large drop in agents on the ground but still leaving about 2,000 agents there, far above typical levels for the state.
Homan said the reduction came as county jails were negotiating over increased coordination with federal officials, though it’s not clear which counties have agreed to coordinate with immigration enforcement officials.
Donald Trump meanwhile has said that he’s learned his administration could use “a little bit of a softer touch” on immigration enforcement, following the immense backlash to his ongoing crackdown in Minnesota. “You still have to be tough,” Trump said. “These are criminals we’re dealing with, really hard criminals.”
In a forthcoming interview with NBC News, Trump said that the decision to draw down 700 officers in the North Star state came from him, but the administration is “waiting for [Minnesota] to release prisoners”.
