UPDATE - Trump border czar announces end to immigration surge in Minneapolis, St. Paul

​​​​​​​ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump's border czar announced Thursday that the federal immigration enforcement surge in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is coming to an end.

Tom Homan said the crackdown, which has sparked months of public demonstrations, has "greatly reduced the number of targets for enforcement action." He disclosed that 4,000 arrests have been conducted since December, when Trump directed the mass buildup of thousands of immigration officers.

"I have proposed and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude. A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue through the next week," Homan told reporters in the state of Minnesota.

The senior Trump official maintained, however, that enforcement operations would continue after the reduction in force, and indicated that state and local officials have more willingly cooperated with federal immigration officials, which has helped facilitate the drawdown.

"The surge is leaving Minnesota safer, Minneapolis safer, because of the cooperation we got with the counties, the state and local law enforcement responding to our needs. I'll say it again, it's less of a sanctuary state for criminals," he said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appeared to respond to Homan's announcement in a brief message posted to American social media company X.

"Thank you, Minnesota," he said as Homan was concluding his remarks.

The Twin Cities have been on edge for much of the past two months, with residents repeatedly demonstrating against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

Demonstrations escalated and spread nationwide following the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, by immigration officers on Jan. 24, and the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.

The Pretti shooting, in particular, greatly exacerbated tensions as local and state leaders demanded independent investigations and questioned federal cooperation with authorities.

The decision to announce the end of the immigration surge comes as Congress weighs funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under which ICE falls, ahead of a Saturday deadline.

Mostly Democratic lawmakers have demanded that any additional funding be contingent on the agency enacting significant reforms to restore public trust, requirements unlikely to gain support of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"We either need dramatic change on the one hand, or listen, Republicans are going to make a decision to shut down FEMA, shut down the Coast Guard, and shut down TSA, and that will be very unfortunate," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, referring to other agencies under DHS.