In a sharp reversal, US president Donald Trump said on Monday he was “on a similar wavelength” with the Democratic governor of Minnesota, following the fatal shooting of a second US citizen in the state by immigration agents that has sparked a fierce backlash.
The surprise comments on social media by Mr Trump after what he described as a “very good call” with Minnesota governor Tim Walz could indicate a de-escalation of his immigration crackdown in the state.
Mr Walz and other Democratic leaders have fiercely opposed the immigration surge, which they characterize as a lawless invasion that puts public safety at risk. Mr Trump, for his part, has spent the past month accusing Mr Walz of incompetence for failing to stop a welfare-fraud scandal in the state.
Mr Walz did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr Trump earlier said he would dispatch the White House border czar, Tom Homan, to work with local officials following Saturday’s shooting of a 37-year-old nurse, Alex Pretti, by immigration agents during a confrontation with protesters in Minneapolis.
While other top Trump officials have characterised Mr Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” Mr Homan has not publicly spoken about the incident.
In a statement, Mr Trump said Mr Homan “has not been involved” in the Minnesota crackdown “but knows and likes many of the people there”.
Mr Trump’s statements came as state officials pressed a US judge to temporarily stop the surge of 3,000 immigration agents.
“This administration, your honour, is not content with the rule of law. They are not content with letting the courts work this stuff out. Instead, they put violence into the streets of Minnesota to get what they want,” Brian Carter, a lawyer with the state attorney general’s office, told US judge Katherine Menendez.
Judge questions whether she has authority to stop operation
Ms Menendez, an appointee of Democratic president Joe Biden, appeared sceptical of the state’s argument that she had the power to shut down the operation on the grounds that it violates the state’s sovereignty.
“I don’t know how you are asking me to identify when the federal government has crossed the line,” she told Mr Carter.
Ms Menendez asked a Trump administration lawyer if the federal government was seeking to coerce the state into changing its immigration policies by sending thousands of agents to Minneapolis.
“Is the executive trying to achieve a goal through force that it cannot achieve through the courts?” Ms Menendez asked Trump administration lawyer Brantley Mayers. Mr Mayers answered with a no, saying the administration was there to enforce federal immigration law.
Ms Menendez concluded the hearing after nearly three hours of argument. She did not say when she would rule.
The surge of agents has spurred massive street protests in below-freezing temperatures, and fierce condemnations by the state’s Democratic leaders. Sixty of the state’s largest businesses, including Target, 3M, UnitedHealth and US Bancorp, called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions between the state and the Trump administration on Sunday.
Republican breaks with party, drops governor bid
A leading Republican candidate for governor, Chris Madel, dropped his bid on Monday, saying the crackdown had gone too far and had made the race unwinnable for a Republican.
“I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so,” he said in a video statement.
Homeland Security Department officials have described the incident as an attack by Mr Pretti, saying agents fired in self-defence after he approached them with a handgun.
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But video from the scene, verified by Reuters, contradicts that account. The footage shows Mr Pretti holding a phone – not a gun – as agents wrestle him to the ground. It also shows officers removing a firearm stored near his waistband after he was subdued, moments before they fatally shot him. Mr Pretti was a licensed gun owner.
Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem will remain in her job “with the full trust and confidence of the President,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Mr Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that his administration is “reviewing everything” about the incident and said immigration officials would eventually withdraw. Recent Reuters polling indicates that a significant slice of Mr Trump’s Republican backers – 39 per cent – are wary of the heavy-handed approach, saying harm should be minimized even if this means fewer immigration-related arrests.
In Washington, Democrats in the Senate have said they will oppose a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, raising the likelihood of a partial government shutdown starting on Sunday. Republicans approved a massive budget increase for immigration enforcement last year, but some of them now are demanding answers from the Trump administration.