White House defends ICE role after Minneapolis shooting

Washington, Jan 27 (IANS) The White House defended the role of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota and rejected criticism of its response to a fatal weekend shooting in Minneapolis, as President Donald Trump ordered senior officials to press state and local leaders to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Addressing a regular White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was closely monitoring developments following the shooting of an ICE agent on Saturday and had approved federal emergency disaster declarations for multiple states hit by a severe winter storm, even as he focused on restoring “law and order” in Minnesota.

Leavitt said the administration was reviewing all aspects of the Minneapolis incident, with investigations underway by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, as well as an internal review by Customs and Border Protection. She stressed that the president wanted “to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead in this case.”

The press secretary accused Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of having “actively defied federal immigration law” by blocking cooperation with ICE, arguing that such actions had created “dangerous situations” for federal officers. She said President Trump spoke with Governor Walz earlier in the day and outlined “a clear and simple path to restoring law and order in Minnesota.”

According to Leavitt, the president’s demands included turning over all illegal immigrants currently incarcerated in state prisons to federal authorities, transferring those with active warrants or known criminal histories for immediate deportation, and ensuring cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement. She said ICE would not need to increase its presence if state and local officials implemented these measures.

Leavitt rejected claims that the administration had rushed to conclusions about the shooting, saying the president had made clear he wanted the investigation to play out. She said President Trump “believes what happened on Saturday is a tragedy,” adding that “every life is equal” and that the president mourned the loss of life involved.

Responding to questions about rhetoric from Democratic officials, Leavitt described language comparing ICE agents to “Nazi Gestapo” as “despicable” and said such remarks had contributed to rising tensions. She said federal agents were “just trying to do their jobs to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and go after the worst of the worst in this country.”

The White House also confirmed that Tom Homan, border czar, was traveling to Minneapolis at the president’s request. Leavitt said Homan would serve as the administration’s point person to work with state and local authorities and “subdue the chaos on the streets of Minneapolis,” noting his decades of experience in law enforcement.

Leavitt said President Trump retained “full confidence” in Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and dismissed suggestions that Homan’s deployment reflected dissatisfaction with her leadership. She added that the president had asked Homan to drop everything and travel to Minnesota to continue discussions already underway with local officials.

On broader immigration policy, Leavitt said the president continued to push Congress to pass legislation ending sanctuary city policies, arguing that “American cities should be safe sanctuaries for law-abiding citizens, not for dangerous illegal alien criminals.” She cited polling showing strong public support for deporting violent offenders and said the administration would not “back down from his promise to deport violent criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again.”