U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota have been directed to avoid engaging with “agitators” while carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, according to internal guidance.
The new instructions provide the most detailed picture yet of how federal immigration operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul will change following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens protesting ICE activity in the city. Officers are now ordered to target only immigrants with criminal charges or convictions, marking a departure from the broad sweeps that have drawn legal challenges and public backlash.
“DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS,” stated an internal e-mail from a senior ICE official. “It serves no purpose other than inflaming the situation. No one is going to convince the other. The only communication should be the officers issuing commands.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The operational shift follows Trump’s statements this week emphasizing a desire to “de-escalate” tensions in the Twin Cities after federal officers killed two U.S. citizens there. Trump administration officials initially described the deceased as aggressors, but video evidence has challenged that characterization.
Border czar Tom Homan has been tasked with overseeing the Minnesota operation, signaling a move toward a more “targeted” enforcement strategy, according to a senior official. Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino, previously responsible for confrontational sweeps in cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, has been demoted and is set to retire.
Under the updated guidance, ICE officers will be equipped with megaphones to issue commands and “verbalize every step of the arrest process.” Officers are authorized to run license plate checks to identify immigrants with criminal histories, with arrests limited to individuals who have a criminal nexus.
The guidance, issued by Marcos Charles, head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, emphasizes coordination with Border Patrol in a supporting role and notes increased cooperation from state and local officials. Authorities will also have more opportunities to apprehend immigrants released on parole or probation.
This marks a return to a targeted enforcement approach similar to policies under former President Joe Biden, though the Trump administration had previously broadened ICE’s scope to allow arrests of non-criminal immigrants.
