We have more on the phone call that took place today between Donald Trump and Minnesota governor Tim Walz, which we covered per Trump’s perspective earlier.
According to a statement from Walz’s office, the two held a “productive” call where the president “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”.
Trump also agreed to talk to the 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”, the statement says.
Per my colleague Hugo Lowell, Trump’s call with Walz comes amid widening public backlash to the aggressive immigration operation in Minnesota, which could be compounded with further bad news if a federal judge finds as early as today that Operation Metro Surge was broadly illegal.
Minnesota governor Tim Walz addresses a news conference on the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, in Blaine, MN, on Sunday. Photograph: Abbie Parr/APShare
Updated at 13.36 EST
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Shrai Popat
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested “more than 200 illegal aliens” in the past five days, assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Guardian in a statement.
Once again, DHS said that it was targeting the “worst of the worst” but highlighted the same four arrests of immigrants with criminal convictions that it shared when the immigration enforcement operation started last week.
ShareDepartment of justice fights court order requiring federal agents to preserve evidence in Alex Pretti’s death
Trump administration officials are fighting a court order issued late Saturday that requires federal agents to preserve evidence in Alex Pretti’s death.
The temporary restraining order stemmed from a request from the Minnesota bureau of criminal apprehension (MBCA) and Hennepin county attorney’s office. They alleged that feds had stymied their investigative efforts of Pretti’s death at the hands of federal agents.
Trump’s justice department claimed in court papers that they “fail to establish that they will be irreparably harmed absent a temporary restraining order”.
They claim that federal agents “are already obligated to preserve the evidence at issue here under their own policies”.
They contend that the FBI gathered evidence from the scene of Pretti’s death “using appropriate collection and handling procedures, and that evidence is currently preserved and stored in a secure evidence room at the Minneapolis field office”.
“The evidence is being preserved; nothing has been destroyed or altered. [Customs and Border Protection] has preserved all relevant body-worn camera footage from the incident and will do so for 75 years.” They also said that ICE was in possession of “limited evidence and follows stringent requirements for the documentation, retention, and accountability of its investigative records and evidence”.
The justice department insists that Minnesota and Minneapolis officials don’t have a right to steer the feds’ evidence-handling procedures, “particularly procedures involving an immigration-enforcement incident”.
A court hearing on the TRO is scheduled for 2pm local time.
Updated at 14.27 EST
White House insists that Trump supports second amendment rights
Leavitt says, “The president supports the second amendment rights of law abiding American citizens. Absolutely.”
She goes on to caveat this by repeating the administration’s suggestions that Alex Pretti, who was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, was at fault. [A reminder that Pretti had a gun on his person but video footage shows he was holding his phone, not a weapon, when he was confronted by law enforcement.]
Leavitt says:
There has been no greater supporter or defender of the right to bear arms than President Donald J Trump. So while Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, Americans do not have a constitutional right to impede lawful immigration enforcement operations. And as any gun owner knows that when you are carrying a weapon, when you are bearing arms and you are confronted by law enforcement, you are raising the assumption of risk, and the risk of a force being used against you. And again, that’s unfortunately what took place on Saturday.
Updated at 14.04 EST
Leavitt is asked how many shots were fired, how many guns were discharged, and whether Alex Pretti’s gun went off or only the federal agents’ guns.
She says the investigation is ongoing and includes interviews with the agents involved.
ShareNoem still has Trump’s ‘utmost confidence and trust’ and continues to oversee DHS, says White House
Leavitt is asked if Tom Homan’s deployment to Minnesota should be taken as a sign that Trump is “dissatisfied” with the officials on the ground who handled the incident.
Leavitt says, “No,” adding that Kristi Noem “still has the [president’s] utmost confidence and trust” and says Noem is continuing to oversee the Department of Homeland Security and immigration enforcement across the country.
ShareTrump calls on Congress to pass legislation ending sanctuary cities
Trump is calling on Congress to “immediately pass legislation ending sanctuary cities once and for all”, Leavitt says.
Updated at 13.35 EST
White House says CBP ‘won’t be needed’ in Minnesota if Walz and Grey comply with anti-immigration measures
“That’s why President Trump spoke with Governor Walz directly this morning, and he has outlined a clear and simple path to restoring law and order in Minnesota,” Leavitt says.
Number one, governor Wallace, Mayor Frey and all Democrat leaders should 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.
Number two, state and local law enforcement must agree to turn over all illegal aliens who are arrested by local police.
And then thirdly, local police must assist federal law enforcement in apprehending and detaining illegal aliens who are wanted for crimes, especially violent crimes.
If Governor Walz and Mayor Frey implement these common sense, cooperative measures, that I will add, have already been implemented in nearly every single other state across the country, Customs and Border Protection will not be needed to support Ice on the ground in Minnesota.
Updated at 13.35 EST
Leavitt goes on to accuse Walz and Frey of “using their platforms to encourage leftwing agitators to stalk, record, confront and obstruct federal officers who are just trying to lawfully perform their duties”.
This, she claims, “has created dangerous situations, threatening both these officers and the general public and Minnesotans alike”.
“This is precisely what unfolded in Minneapolis on Saturday morning,” she adds.
Updated at 13.35 EST
“But let’s be clear about the circumstances which led to that moment on Saturday,” Leavitt goes on.
This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota for weeks. Governor Walz and the mayor, Jacob Frey, and other elected Democrats were spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers who are risking their lives daily to remove the worst criminal, illegal aliens from our streets.
Leavitt says Saturday’s [fatal] shooting [of Alex Pretti] remains under active investigation by the FBI, homeland security and customs border officials.
“The administration is reviewing everything with respect to the shooting, and we will let that investigation play out,” she says.
Updated at 13.24 EST