By STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press<\/p>\n
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 The immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to mass detentions, protests and two deaths is coming to an end,\u00a0border czar<\/a>\u00a0Tom Homan said Thursday.<\/p>\n Democratic\u00a0Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday<\/a>\u00a0that he expected Operation Metro Surge, which started in December, to end in \u201cdays, not weeks and months,\u201d based on his conversations with senior Trump administration officials.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,\u201d Homan said at a news conference.<\/p>\n \u201cI have proposed and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n Federal authorities say the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps focused on the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area have led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people. While the Trump administration has called those arrested \u201cdangerous criminal illegal aliens,\u201d many people with no criminal records, including children and U.S. citizens, have also been detained.<\/p>\n \u201cThe surge is leaving Minneapolis safer,\u201d Homan said. . \u201cI\u2019ll say it again, it\u2019s less of a sanctuary state for criminals.\u201d<\/p>\n Homan\u00a0announced last week<\/a>\u00a0that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota immediately, but that still left more than 2,000 on Minnesota\u2019s streets. Homan said Thursday that the drawdown began this week and will continue next week. He said he plans to stay in Minnesota to oversee the drawdown.<\/p>\n Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he had a \u201cpositive meeting\u201d with Homan on Monday and discussed the potential for a further drawdown of federal officers.<\/p>\n Homan took over the Minnesota operation in late January after the\u00a0second fatal shooting<\/a>\u00a0by federal immigration agents and amid\u00a0growing political backlash<\/a>\u00a0and questions about how the operation was being run.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very much in a trust but verify mode,\u201d Walz said, adding that he expected to hear more from the administration \u201cin the next day or so\u201d about the future of what he said has been an \u201coccupation\u201d and a \u201cretribution campaign\u201d against the state.<\/p>\n