A rift inside the administration burst into the open overnight when President Trump publicly over-rode Border Czar Tom Homan’s pledge to begin drawing down the 3,000 federal immigration agents deployed to Minneapolis. In back-to-back television appearances on 29–30 January, Homan told CNN that ICE and CBP teams had removed the “worst of the worst” and were now drafting an exit strategy that would hand primary responsibility back to local police. Hours later, the President used a Truth Social post and impromptu remarks to reporters to insist that “not one agent” would leave until “the job is finished,” adding that “Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down,” a reference to the college student whose 24 January killing by ICE agents triggered nationwide protests.(transcripts.cnn.com)
The contradiction leaves multinational employers and their mobile staff in limbo. Companies that had evacuated assignees from Minneapolis during “Operation Metro Surge” must now decide whether to resume business travel or brace for further disruptions, including checkpoints around workplaces and detained foreign national employees. Immigration counsel warn that the uncertainty raises litigation risk for firms that cannot guarantee a safe working environment for foreign staff.
Amid this climate, VisaHQ’s real-time travel-compliance platform can help corporate mobility teams decide whether to reroute assignees, postpone trips, or secure additional documentation before entering Minnesota. The service tracks U.S. federal and state entry rules, offers online ordering of required visas and travel documents, and provides on-demand guidance from immigration experts—see https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ for details.
![Trump Rejects Border Czar’s Plan to Scale Back Minnesota ICE Surge]()
Behind the scenes, senior DHS officials told local media that visa-overstay “recalcitrants” remain the chief target, but that the optics of armored vehicles outside corporate campuses have alarmed business leaders. Minnesota’s governor has asked DHS to publish criteria for winding the operation down, arguing that an open-ended federal presence is hurting the state’s bid to attract biomedical investors.
For global mobility managers, the takeaway is to keep contingency plans active. Employers should brief traveling staff on the continued possibility of ID checks away from ports-of-entry and review I-9 documentation audits, which have spiked 40 % in the Twin Cities since the surge began. They should also monitor union actions—organizers have called for a second general strike on 30 January—which could further snarl commuter routes to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.
Until the White House resolves its internal split, companies should expect short-notice policy shifts, and employees—especially on DACA, TPS or cap-gap statuses—should delay discretionary travel through Minnesota where possible.
The contradiction leaves multinational employers and their mobile staff in limbo. Companies that had evacuated assignees from Minneapolis during “Operation Metro Surge” must now decide whether to resume business travel or brace for further disruptions, including checkpoints around workplaces and detained foreign national employees. Immigration counsel warn that the uncertainty raises litigation risk for firms that cannot guarantee a safe working environment for foreign staff.
Amid this climate, VisaHQ’s real-time travel-compliance platform can help corporate mobility teams decide whether to reroute assignees, postpone trips, or secure additional documentation before entering Minnesota. The service tracks U.S. federal and state entry rules, offers online ordering of required visas and travel documents, and provides on-demand guidance from immigration experts—see https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ for details.
Behind the scenes, senior DHS officials told local media that visa-overstay “recalcitrants” remain the chief target, but that the optics of armored vehicles outside corporate campuses have alarmed business leaders. Minnesota’s governor has asked DHS to publish criteria for winding the operation down, arguing that an open-ended federal presence is hurting the state’s bid to attract biomedical investors.
For global mobility managers, the takeaway is to keep contingency plans active. Employers should brief traveling staff on the continued possibility of ID checks away from ports-of-entry and review I-9 documentation audits, which have spiked 40 % in the Twin Cities since the surge began. They should also monitor union actions—organizers have called for a second general strike on 30 January—which could further snarl commuter routes to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.
Until the White House resolves its internal split, companies should expect short-notice policy shifts, and employees—especially on DACA, TPS or cap-gap statuses—should delay discretionary travel through Minnesota where possible.
