By WCCO Staff
U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to soon leave the Minneapolis area, two sources familiar with the move told CBS News Monday.
President Trump and Gov. Walz both said Monday they’re working together to scale down the surge of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey added that he has also spoken with Mr. Trump Monday, and that the president agrees “that the present situation cannot continue.”
Earlier Monday, two U.S. officials told CBS News some of the Border Patrol agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis had body cameras.
Pretti, an ICU nurse who worked at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was killed by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning. He was the second U.S. citizen killed by federal forces in Minneapolis in January, following the shooting of Renee Good.
What to know about the Alex Pretti shooting and fallout:
- President Trump said on social media Monday he is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he is planning to meet with him to discuss next steps
- Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation told CBS News some at the Department of Homeland Security are increasingly concerned about the agency’s reputation.
- Minnesota officials said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. He had no criminal record.
- Videos from the scene verified by CBS News show that Pretti was holding a phone in his right hand, and nothing in his left, before he was shot. Multiple videos also show a federal agent in a gray jacket reaching into the scuffle empty-handed and emerging with a gun in his right hand, turning away from the man when the first shot is fired, then running across the street as more shots are fired.
Klobuchar says more ICE accountability measures necessary for Democrats to support DHS funding bill
There is a deadline Friday for the U.S. Senate to approve remaining funding bills for several departments — including the Department of Homeland Security — or there will be a partial government shutdown.
Senate Democrats pledged they won’t support the broader funding package that includes money for DHS in the wake of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol Agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, unless there are accountability measures and policy changes included.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said in an interview that Democrats want the DHS funding removed from the larger bill funding other parts of the government, so there can be a separate debate on that issue.
“I work across the aisle all the time, but sometimes you have to take a stand,” Klobuchar told WCCO in an interview Monday.
She believes there should be oversight measures in place, including mandatory body-worn cameras for federal immigration agents and more training. She also criticized the influx of funding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and DHS received in the GOP-backed “One Big Beautiful Bill” that passed last summer.
“The ICE budget was tripled to $75 billion. ICE has more money than the FBI. I think Minnesotans would be shocked by that right now,” Klobuchar said. “And with that came a loosening of training, and that is one of the reasons why there are so many of these untrained, brand new ICE agents running around our state.”
She emphasized the need for immigration enforcement but said “the entire agency has to be overhauled.”
“We need immigration enforcement, but not like this. Not like this. Not gunning down innocent citizens of the United States and the streets of Minneapolis, not taking 2-year-olds and 5-year-olds, and dragging Hmong elders out of their homes,” Klobuchar said.
Seven Democrats broke ranks with their party in the U.S. House last week to approve the funding measure for DHS, but that was before another deadly shooting in Minneapolis amid Operation Metro Surge.
Minneapolis Mayor Frey: Trump agrees “that the present situation cannot continue”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that he, like Gov. Tim Walz, spoke with President Trump on the phone Monday to discuss ways to bring about an end to the recent surge of federal immigration enforcement agents in the city.
Frey said that Mr. Trump “agreed that the present situation cannot continue.”
“Some federal agents will begin leaving the area tomorrow, and I will continue pushing for the rest involved in this operation to go,” Frey said Monday afternoon. “Minneapolis will continue to cooperate with state and federal law enforcement on real criminal investigations — but we will not participate in unconstitutional arrests of our neighbors or enforce federal immigration law. Violent criminals should be held accountable based on the crimes they commit, not based on where they are from.”
Frey said that he is planning to meet with border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday “to further discuss next steps.”
Mr. Trump posted about the phone call on Truth Social Monday afternoon, saying, in part, “Lots of progress is being made.”
Woman shot by Border Patrol agent in Chicago seeks release of body camera footage
The attorney for a woman who was shot by a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent in Chicago last year is seeking to force the release of body camera footage of the incident, two months after federal prosecutors dropped criminal charges against her.
Citing the recent “executions” of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota, Marimar Martinez‘s lawyer argues the evidence in her case should be made public to shed light on how the Department of Homeland Security “responds in cases where their agents use deadly force against U.S. citizens.”
By Todd Feurer
Bovino, some Border Patrol agents to leave Minneapolis soon: sources
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave the Minneapolis area soon, two sources familiar with the move told CBS News Monday afternoon.
A third source with direct knowledge confirms Bovino is departing Minneapolis imminently and has been relieved of his command.
The move comes following intense backlash over how top federal officials, including Bovino, responded to the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
Bovino, citing no evidence, suggested over the weekend Pretti intended to “massacre” federal agents.
Individual accused of biting part of federal officer’s finger off in Minneapolis
A person has been federally charged after court documents said they bit the tip of a Customs and Border Protection officer’s finger off in Minneapolis on Saturday.
The incident happened in the area of Nicollet Avenue between 27th and 28th streets. Federal agents there were asked to create a “secure perimeter” following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, according to a criminal complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on Sunday.
By Nicholas Lentz
What to know about border czar Tom Homan
President Donald Trump announced that his border czar, Tom Homan, will go to Minneapolis this week following the fatal shooting of an ICU nurse Saturday in the city that has become the epicenter of opposition to the president’s controversial immigration crackdown.
Here is what to know about Homan ahead of his arrival in the Twin Cities.
Homan, 64, started his career in 1984 as a Border Patrol agent before moving to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2003 when the agency was created as part of Homeland Security. He was a relatively low-key but influential figure on immigration enforcement in the Obama administration, heading ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations arm, which was tasked with tracking down people with outstanding deportation orders and removing them from the country.
Despite unwavering enthusiasm for Trump and withering criticism of President Joe Biden, he is seen by some as a voice of restraint and moderation compared with some in the current administration.
Homan, who is widely associated with immigration enforcement actions that separated families, was given a Presidential Rank Award by the Obama administration to tout his efficacy in 2015.
Homan was at his retirement party in January 2017 when Trump’s choice for homeland security secretary, John Kelly, asked him to stay at ICE. Homan accepted after taking a weekend to think about it and became a leading figure in the Trump administration through four tumultuous years.
Under Obama, the U.S. carried out 432,000 deportations in 2013, the highest annual total since records were kept. Deportations under the first Trump administration never topped 350,000.
When he was appointed border czar, Homan was seen as a leader who not only aligned with Trump ideologically, but who also had significant practical experience in immigration policy.
In an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” in 2024, Homan promised to target — at least initially — people posing a risk to public safety and pushed back on suggestions that the U.S. military would be assisting in finding and deporting immigrants.
“You concentrate on the public safety threats and the national security threats first, because they’re the worst of the worst,” he said on the show. He also said ICE would move to implement Trump’s plans in a “humane manner.”
On a separate “60 Minutes” interview before the 2024 presidential elections, Homan called suggestions of mass neighborhood raids or building camps to hold people “ridiculous.”
When asked whether there was a way to carry out deportations without separating families, he said, “Families can be deported together.”
There are countless recent examples across the country of arrests that don’t align with those priorities. In Minnesota, The Associated Press has reported on how ICE agents have detained people with legal immigration status and no criminal records, children and U.S. citizens.
The White House stood behind Homan in September following reports that he accepted $50,000 from undercover agents posing as businesspeople during an FBI operation, leading to a bribery investigation that was ultimately shut down by Trump’s Justice Department.
Homan was accused of accepting the cash during a 2024 encounter with agents posing as businesspeople seeking government contracts that Homan suggested he could help them get in a second Trump term.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized Homan’s encounter with the undercover agents as an effort by the Biden administration to “entrap one of the president’s top allies and supporters, someone who they knew very well would be taking a government position.”
By The Associated Press
Sen. Rand Paul calls for heads of ICE, CBP to testify before Congress
Sen. Rand Paul, chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, is summoning three top officials with the Department of Homeland Security to testify before Congress.
“As you know, the Department of Homeland Security has been provided an exceptional amount of funding to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws,” Paul’s letter said. “Congress has an obligation to conduct oversight of those tax dollars and ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement, and, most importantly, protect the American people.”
Paul’s letter was sent to the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, seeking their participation in a Feb. 12 hearing.
“Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Paul’s letter signed off.
Today, I call on the heads of ICE, CBP, and USCIS to testify before the Homeland Security Committee. pic.twitter.com/eu5XBk80xy— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) January 26, 2026
No one in White House wants to see people killed “in America’s streets,” press secretary says
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday afternoon recited prepared statements regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
“Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America’s streets,” Leavitt said during a press briefing. “This includes Renee Good, Alex Pretti, the brave men and women of federal law enforcement and the many Americans who have been victimized at the hands of illegal alien criminals.”
She said that Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are leading the probe into Saturday’s shooting of Pretti by federal agents, and that Customs and Border Protection is “conducting their own internal review.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Mr. Trump spoke to each other on the phone on Monday morning, according to both Leavitt and the governor. Walz said the president agreed to consider reducing federal immigration enforcement forces in the state. The press secretary said Mr. Trump has “outlined a clear and simple path to restoring law and order in Minnesota.”
Leavitt said the president is asking that Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and “Democrat leaders” turn over “all criminal, illegal aliens currently incarcerated in their prisons and jails to federal authorities, along with any illegal aliens with active warrants or known criminal histories for immediate deportation.”
Mr. Trump, according to Leavitt, is also asking state and local law enforcement in Minnesota to turn over all “illegal aliens” who are arrested by local police, and to help federal authorities apprehend “illegal aliens wanted for crimes.”
By Nicholas Lentz
Some Border Patrol agents in Alex Pretti shooting had body cams, officials confirm
Two U.S. officials tell CBS News some of the Border Patrol agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis had body cameras.
Memorial for Alex Pretti grows as mourners pay respects
At 26th and Nicollet, the memorial for Alex Pretti continues to grow as Minnesotans continue to pay their respects to the lost life.
The spot where federal agents killed Pretti has now become a space for community — a place to grieve, a place to gather together and a place to ask what’s next.
There is a police presence at the scene, and there’s a barrier in place to keep the memorial out of the street. But it keeps growing.
Monday morning, a WCCO crew saw person after person stop by to add flowers, mementos, signs and notes paying tribute to Pretti. Many stopped for a moment of silence or prayer. Some were weeping, grieving for a person they hadn’t even met.
Many of the mourners are feeling the weight of this heavily in their community, while others are traveling from across the metro to see and feel it for themselves.
“I just think this is what the Twin Cities is about,” Erinn Farrell of Minneapolis said. “The warmest of souls on the coldest of days, consistently showing up for one another and honoring this shared experience.”
“I think it’s so easy to keep your head down,” Joel Willenbring of Apple Valley said. “Coming here has helped me keep my head up.”
Many people at the memorial shared a feeling of helplessness, but felt that going there and paying respects was an actionable thing they could do.
By Beret Leone
Trump says he and Walz have spoken about need “to work together”
Within hours of posting that border czar Tom Homan is heading to Minnesota, President Trump shared an update that he has spoken with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and that Walz “(requested) to work together with respect to Minnesota.” He went on to say that he and Walz “seemed to be on a similar wavelength.”
WCCO reached out to Walz’s office, which confirmed that a phone call had taken place between the two Monday.
“The Governor made the case that we need impartial investigations of the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, and that we need to reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota. The President agreed that he would talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, as would ordinarily be the case,” a spokesperson for Walz’s office said. “The President also agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals.”
Walz’s office continued, “The Governor reminded President Trump that the Minnesota Department of Corrections already honors federal detainers by notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person committed to its custody isn’t a U.S. citizen. There is not a single documented case of the department’s releasing someone from state prison without offering to ensure a smooth transfer of custody.”
This conversation comes one day after Walz categorically denounced the actions of federal immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis-St. Paul and throughout greater Minnesota.
Officials’ response to fatal Minneapolis shooting causes anger among some at DHS
Statements by senior Department of Homeland Security administration officials over the U.S. Border Patrol’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, many of which have been directly contradicted by videos of the incident and witness accounts, have caused internal frustration among some at DHS.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation told CBS News some at DHS are increasingly concerned about the agency’s reputation.
One official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, said top DHS officials were mishandling the public messaging around the incident, making statements that were not supported by concrete evidence, before any investigative findings came out.
“It’s unclear who at DHS thought it would be a good idea to make such claims before any facts were established, but it was a terrible miscalculation,” the U.S. official said.
GOP candidate Chris Madel drops out of gubernatorial race in protest over federal crackdown
Chris Madel, who was running as a Republican candidate for Minnesota governor, has ended his campaign, saying he can’t support national Republicans’ “state retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.”
I am ending my campaign for Minnesota Governor. I describe why in the below video. Please watch until the end. (It is 10 minutes, 52 seconds.)
Thank you,
Chris pic.twitter.com/2nfyAyTzNZ— Chris Madel (@CWMadel) January 26, 2026
“Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats. United States citizens, particularly those of Color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong,” Madel said. “Weaponizing criminal investigations against political opponents is unconstitutional regardless of who is in power.”
Madel was on WCCO Sunday Morning with Esme Murphy a little over one week ago, where he alleged, without evidence, that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was directing the Minneapolis Police Department to fight against federal immigration enforcement forces.
Madel was among a crowded Republican field for the governorship, including House Speaker Lisa Demuth, 2022 Republican nominee Dr. Scott Jensen, U.S. Army veteran and business owner Kendall Qualls and Minnesota Rep. Kristin Robbins
Trump says he’s sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota
President Trump said on social media Monday he will send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota.
“He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there,” Mr. Trump said. “Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.”
Before Mr. Trump’s second term began, Homan vowed to “run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” He also promised that ICE would implement the president’s plans in a “humane manner.”
Federal agents deploy chemical irritants at hotel protest
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said officers with the state patrol and Department of Natural Resources arrived to the Home2 Suites Hotel on University Avenue in Minneapolis overnight to arrest a group of demonstrators who were “not peaceful.”
The hotel property had been damaged, according to the original call for help from Minneapolis police.
When the additional officers were working to arrest the protesters, the department said that federal agents arrived at the scene, without communicating to them beforehand.
The federal agents then deployed chemical irritants on the crowd and cleared the group, the department of public safety said.
The Minneapolis Police Department corroborated DPS’ account, adding that one of its officers was inside the hotel at the time. That officer “attempted to provide aid” to a federal agent who reported an injury.
The police department also said a supervisor “communicated with federal supervisors on scene who refused further assistance from MPD.”
Two federal hearings Monday in immigration crackdown cases
Federal judges will hear two separate cases on Monday related to the ongoing surge of immigration agents in Minnesota.
Monday morning, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will be in court to argue for an end to Operation Metro Surge.
Ellison has said the influx of immigration agents to the state has caused “tremendous damage.” The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are suing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials. Ellison will argue for a temporary restraining order to pause the surge starting at 9 a.m.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin previously said, in part, “This is a baseless lawsuit, and we look forward to proving that in court.”
Another hearing is scheduled for Monday afternoon related to a temporary restraining order barring Homeland Security from destroying evidence related to the killing of Alex Pretti.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension sued over concerns the evidence could be compromised. At Monday’s 2 p.m. hearing, defendants will be allowed to raise objections.
BCA agents said Homeland Security blocked them from the scene where a federal agent shot Pretti on Saturday, even though they had a judicial warrant.
By WCCO Staff
Minnesota police chiefs seek meeting with Trump
The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA) is requesting a meeting with President Trump, which the group says would be “constructive and timely” in light of the “complex, high-pressure environments” local law enforcement officers are working in “while communities seek reassurance, clarity, and stability.”
“During periods of elevated tension, thoughtful leadership and responsible communication are essential to reducing strain rather than amplifying it,” the group says. “… Public trust depends on consistent, professional conduct. At the same time, officer safety must remain a fundamental priority, as it is inseparable from the safety of the communities officers serve.”
“A constructive path forward is essential. The MCPA encourages greater dialogue among federal and state leaders to support professional conduct that strengthens public safety, protects law enforcement professionals, and maintains public trust across Minnesota.”
By Brian Dakss
Alex Pretti honored at Basilica of St. Mary service
Clergy members at the Basilica of St. Mary honored and prayed for Alex Pretti and his family on Sunday.
For 10 years, Father Harry Tasto says he worked alongside Pretti as a chaplain at the Minneapolis VA hospital.
“He was known for his kindness and gentleness to patients,” Tasto said. “So don’t please pay any attention tot the vilification from our national leaders.”
Clergy invited those at Sunday’s service to take home a candle in honor of Pretti.
Katie Bartlet doesn’t go to church at the Basilica; she’s not even Catholic, but she felt the pull to come.
“It spoke to me to come and bring a candle for Alex,” she said.
Witness says he was immediately detained after shooting
New affidavits filed in court detail how witnesses were arrested immediately after the shooting of Alex Pretti.
One of those witnesses, who asked to be called Javier for safety reasons, said he was among dozens of what he overheard agents referring to as “USCs” — United States citizens in custody.
Javier lives a few blocks from where Saturday’s shooting took place at 26th and Nicollet; he recalled arriving at the scene after neighbors alerted him to an ongoing raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I watched the agent shoot him,” Javier said. “Whether I knew him or not, he died for the cause.”
By Jonah Kaplan
HSI leading federal investigation into shooting
ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations branch is leading the federal investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, with assistance from the FBI, according to multiple U.S. officials briefed on the investigation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is also conducting an internal administrative review through its Office of Professional Responsibility, as per standard practice, the officials said.
The decision to place HSI in the lead investigative role is unusual and has raised questions among current and former federal law enforcement officials, given that HSI is not typically tasked with investigating officer-involved shootings and is not structured or equipped to handle core elements of such cases, including ballistics analysis, forensic processing, firearm examinations, video review and large-scale witness canvassing.
On Fox News, Kash Patel said, “all the pieces of the investigation are being led by DHS in HSI and I don’t want to comment on their ongoing investigation.” Patel added that investigators are focused on “mostly scientific evidence,” including fingerprints, DNA, how many rounds were fired and other physical evidence associated with the firearm.
A former senior ICE and HSI official told CBS News that the approach marks a clear break from prior administrations and long-standing practice. The official said it makes little sense for the Department of Homeland Security to oversee a criminal investigation into a fatal shooting involving its own personnel rather than turning the matter over to an outside entity, describing the current setup as highly irregular.
“That’s not the way it was done before this admin” one former senior ICE official told CBS News, calling the Trump administration’s move “not normal.”
The former official noted HSI agents are criminal investigators but said a probe into a Border Patrol shooting should be investigated by an entity outside of the Department of Homeland Security. Both ICE and Border Patrol are overseen by DHS.
By Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Sarah N. Lynch
Judge orders feds to preserve evidence in shooting of Alex Pretti
A federal judge on Saturday ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to preserve evidence related to the fatal shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis.
U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud granted the temporary restraining order request from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, barring DHS “from destroying or altering evidence related to the fatal shooting involving federal officers,” including evidence that officials removed from the scene and “evidence defendants have taken into their exclusive custody.”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said in court documents submitted for the case that it was unclear how carefully federal personnel processed the scene — if at all — and that a few hours after the shooting, those officials left, “allowing the perimeter to collapse and potentially spoiling evidence.”
“From a law enforcement perspective, this is astonishing,” the filing reads. “The federal government’s actions are a sharp departure from normal best practices and procedure, in which every effort is taken to preserve the scene and the evidence it contains.”
[Read more.]
2-year-old detained by ICE back home, family says
A 2-year-old named Chloe, who was detained by ICE along with her father as they drove home from a grocery store in Minneapolis on Thursday, is now back home, her family says.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Border Patrol arrested Elvis Tipan Echeverria of Ecuador and that the toddler’s mother refused to take her, so she was reunited with her father at a federal detention facility.
A district judge granted an emergency injunction ordering Chloe’s release into the custody of her lawyer on Friday.
While the child is now home with her mother, there is no word on her father’s status.
The child, a citizen of Ecuador who was brought to Minneapolis as a newborn, has a pending asylum application and is not subject to a final order of removal.
By Riley Moser, The Associated Press
Minnesota DFL issues stark refusal to Bondi’s push for voter state’s rolls
The Minnesota DFL on Sunday evening responded to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s push to let the federal government access the state’s voter rolls and public assistance data.
“Let us be direct: F*** off,” the party said on social media.
In a three-page letter obtained by CBS News, Bondi also urged Minnesota to scrap all “sanctuary” policies and “cooperate fully” with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including giving the agency access to all local jails and honoring federal agents’ requests to detain people.
“I am confident that these simple steps will help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans,” Bondi wrote in her letter to the governor Saturday, which accused state officials of “anti-law enforcement rhetoric” and “putting federal agents in danger.”
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon denied Bondi’s request in a written statement on Sunday.
