Trump, Minnesota Leaders Signal De-Escalation Amid Fallout From Deadly Immigration Crackdown

U.S. President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz struck a more conciliatory tone following a private phone call Monday, signaling efforts to ease tensions after a controversial federal deportation operation in Minneapolis that left two U.S. citizens dead. Trump also spoke separately with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, with all sides describing the conversations as constructive after weeks of public clashes. The shift in tone came as the Trump administration confirmed that senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino would leave Minnesota, with border czar Tom Homan set to assume leadership of the federal operation known as “Operation Metro Surge.”

Bovino, a prominent figure in the administration’s immigration enforcement drive, has reportedly been removed from his specially created role as “commander at large” and is expected to return to a prior post in California before retiring, according to sources familiar with the matter, though the Department of Homeland Security disputed that he had been relieved of duty. His reassignment follows intense backlash over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti during a confrontation between federal agents and protesters, as well as the earlier killing of Renee Good, another U.S. citizen. Video footage circulating online has raised questions about federal accounts of both incidents, and Minnesota authorities have accused the federal government of hindering state-level investigations, prompting a legal dispute over evidence access.

After the calls, Trump said he and Walz were “on a similar wavelength,” and Walz’s office described the discussion as productive, noting Trump would consider scaling back the federal agent presence and allow the state to conduct its own probe into the Pretti shooting. Frey said some agents would begin leaving the Twin Cities, while Trump reported “lots of progress.” The apparent thaw comes as public support for the deportation campaign shows signs of weakening and as Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel withdrew from the race, saying the crackdown had gone too far, highlighting growing political strain around the enforcement push.

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