President Donald Trump's border czar has announced the end of aggressive immigration operations in Minnesota that triggered large protests and nationwide outrage following the killing of two US citizens.
Thousands of federal agents including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have in recent weeks conducted sweeping raids and arrests in what the administration claims are targeted missions against criminals.
"I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude," Trump official Tom Homan told a briefing outside Minneapolis. "A significant drawdown has already been under way this week and will continue through the next week."
The operations have sparked tense demonstrations in the Minneapolis area, and the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti less than three weeks apart last month led to a wave of criticism.
Mr Homan raised the prospect that the officers would deploy to another location but gave no details, as speculation is rife about which city might be targeted next.
"In the next week, we're going to deploy the officers here on detail, back to their home stations or other areas of the country where they are needed. But we're going to continue to enforce immigration law," he said.
Campaigning against illegal immigration helped Mr Trump get elected in 2024, but daily videos from Minnesota of violent masked agents, and multiple reports of people being targeted on flimsy evidence, helped send Mr Trump's approval ratings plummeting.
The case of Liam Conejo Ramos, aged five, who was detained on 20 January 20, also stoked anger.
'Trump's leadership'
After killings of Ms Good and Mr Pretti, the Republican president withdrew combative Customs and Border Protection commander Gregory Bovino and replaced him with Mr Homan who sought to engage local Democratic leaders.
Minneapolis is a Democratic-run "sanctuary" city where local police do not cooperate with federal immigration officials.
Opposition Democrats have called for major reforms to ICE, including ending mobile patrols, prohibiting agents from concealing their faces and requiring warrants.
If political negotiations over ICE fail in Washington, the Department of Homeland Security could face a funding shortfall starting Saturday.
Customs and Border Protection and ICE operations could continue using funds approved by Congress last year, but other sub-agencies such as federal disaster organization FEMA could be affected.
Mr Homan said that some officers would stay behind in Minnesota but did not give a figure.
"The Twin Cities, Minnesota in general, are and will continue to be, much safer for the communities here because of what we have accomplished under President Trump's leadership," Mr Homan said at the briefing on the outskirts of Minneapolis and neighbouring St Paul.
He said more than 200 people had been arrested in the course of the operation for interfering with federal officers, but gave no estimate for the number of immigration-linked arrests and deportations.
