In a firm rebuke of sanctuary-minded Minnesota politicians, Trump administration border czar Tom Homan delivered a clear message: if political leaders truly want criminals arrested, they must allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct those arrests safely within jails.

Speaking amid an ongoing federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, Homan criticized lawmakers who call for criminal arrests while simultaneously rejecting ICE access to local detention facilities. “For the politicians that say, ‘We want you to arrest the criminals…’ but not let me in the jails — you can’t square that,” he told reporters. “If you really want to arrest the criminals and target the criminals… let us do it in the safety and security of a jail.”

Homan’s remarks come in the context of a controversial surge of federal immigration agents deployed to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area earlier this year, aimed at apprehending violent offenders and criminal aliens. After weeks of operating under challenging conditions and amid tense protests, Homan announced the immediate withdrawal of 700 federal agents from the state—a roughly 25 percent reduction—while still maintaining a significant law-enforcement presence. 

The border czar framed the drawdown of personnel as leverage to compel cooperation from local officials on jail access and detainer requests, which he argues would allow ICE to take custody of criminal non-citizens in a controlled environment rather than pursue them in the streets. Homan has repeatedly stressed that arrests inside jails are safer for officers, the public, and the detainees themselves—reducing the need for larger enforcement teams and minimizing confrontations. 

Homan also tied the policy demand to broader public safety considerations, stating that requiring federal agents to conduct street arrests without jail cooperation unnecessarily complicates operations and exposes both agents and communities to risk. His comments reflect a broader emphasis by the Trump administration on prioritizing arrests of individuals convicted of violent crimes or posing clear threats to public safety, even as sanctuary policies limit formal law-enforcement integration.

Critics in Minnesota, including the governor and mayor of Minneapolis, have pushed back against the federal operation, citing community tensions and the fallout from enforcement actions. However, Homan has maintained that federal efforts remain lawful and focused on dangerous offenders, and he continues to advocate for stronger collaboration between federal and local authorities in enforcing immigration laws.

By publicly challenging sanctuary policy resistance and advocating for jail cooperation, Homan’s remarks signal a tactical shift in the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement—one that pairs operational adjustments with political pressure, and underscores the priority of safety, accountability, and the rule of law.