Trump and Walz hold ‘productive call’ as Minnesota governor pushes for ‘impartial’ inquiry into shootings
What does Trump’s deployment of border czar Homan mean?published at 20:01 GMT
Daniel Bush
Washington Correspondent
President Donald Trump’s decision Monday to send White House border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis has sparked speculation about a possible shift in the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
Homan will be front and centre in the growing nationwide debate over the fatal shooting in recent weeks of two US citizens by federal agents.
In his role as White House border czar, Homan has consistently defended Trump’s immigration crackdown. Homan has also joined Trump in blaming state and local Democrats for the violence in Minneapolis, claiming that immigration enforcement measures aren’t being met with violent resistance in Republican-controlled states.
But Homan has generally operated further outside of the spotlight than Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the main administration official in charge of Trump’s overall immigration agenda. Noem has drawn criticism for her combative approach.
Trump praised Homan online on Monday, saying he is “tough but fair, and will report directly to me,” Trump said. The decision to send Homan to Minneapolis instead of Noem immediately sparked rumors of a possible shakeup at DHS.
But it’s too early to know if Trump plans to make major personnel changes or overhaul his immigration agenda in response to the shootings, though he has signaled openness to making some adjustments.
The White House also expressed support for Noem on Monday, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt telling Reuters she will “continue to lead the Department of Homeland Security with the full trust and confidence of the President”.
There was significant turnover among Trump’s top advisers in his first term in office, when the president fired several senior officials abruptly and without warning. So far in his second term, Trump has avoided similar turmoil by keeping his core team intact.
