Trump says he will ‘look into’ scaling back Minnesota ICE surge after Minneapolis killing fuels backlash
Minnesota officials and federal lawmakers intensified scrutiny of a large federal immigration operation in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, as President Trump told Gov. Tim Walz he would review the scale of the deployment and coordination with the state.
Political pressure intensified on Monday, January 26, 2026, after the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during protests linked to federal immigration enforcement. In the aftermath, Minnesota officials sought to curb what they describe as an aggressive federal operation, while the White House faced widening criticism over the role of immigration agents and the handling of the investigation.
The Guardian’s live reporting described a rapidly evolving situation in which state and local leaders argued that federal activity was disrupting normal law-enforcement processes. According to the report, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s office said Walz had a phone call with President Donald Trump that his team characterized as productive, and that the president agreed to “look into” reducing the number of federal agents deployed in Minnesota and improving coordination focused on violent criminals.
Legal scrutiny is running in parallel. The report noted that federal judges were weighing cases that could affect the legality of the surge operation and the ability of local investigators to conduct a full inquiry into Pretti’s death. State officials have pushed for evidence preservation and access as investigators try to establish a complete account of what happened and who is responsible.
The controversy has also rippled through Washington, where immigration enforcement and homeland security funding have become central to an escalating political fight. The report said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer urged separating Department of Homeland Security funding from other appropriations to avert a shutdown, while Republican Senator Rand Paul requested that leaders of immigration agencies testify before a Senate committee.
Meanwhile, the political fallout has reached into Minnesota’s own partisan politics. The report described how the public backlash and safety fears, including claims that residents are carrying papers to prove citizenship, have amplified tensions inside the state and created new pressure on Republican and Democratic leaders alike to respond to the crisis.
What happens next
- Federal court hearings that could limit or reshape the Minnesota immigration operation.
- Further details from the White House and DHS on whether troop levels or tactics change.
- Congressional testimony requests and funding fights tied to DHS and immigration enforcement.