Trump says he had a 'very good call' with Walz amid rising tensions in Minnesota
Jan 26, 2026
Questions are mounting about how the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal immigration agent could affect immigration enforcement in Minnesota.RELATED STORY | Minneapolis man shot by Border Patrol remembered as
VA nurse, advocate for immigrantsPresident Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.It was a very good call, and we actually seemed to be on a similar wavelength, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.Earlier, Trump said he was sending his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota. According to the White House, Homan will lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on the ground.Trump said Walz was receptive to the move.RELATED STORY | Government shutdown risk grows as DHS funding stalls after fatal Minnesota shooting"He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I! We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have touched and, even in Minnesota, Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!" Trump said.Walz, for his part, also described the call as "productive.""The President agreed that he would talk to his 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 governor's office said. "The President also 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."Trumps shifting tone in the wake of Prettis death comes as both Democrats and Republicans call for a thorough investigation.In a Sunday interview with "The Wall Street Journal," Trump said his administration was reviewing everything related to the shooting which was recorded by multiple bystanders and appears to contradict initial federal accounts. He also suggested the possibility of pulling federal agents out of Minnesota."At some point we will leave," he said. "We've done, they've done a phenomenal job."The political fallout from Prettis death is expected to ripple through Washington this week. Democrats are threatening to withdraw support for a previously negotiated deal funding the Department of Homeland Security and roughly 75% of the federal government. Current government funding runs out later this week, raising the prospect of a partial shutdown.
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