Ana Faguy in Minneapolis
(BBC) – A top US immigration official is expected to leave the US city of Minneapolis in what may mark a shift in the White House’s tone after the fatal shooting of a second US citizen by federal officers over the weekend.
As Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and some immigration agents leave, President Donald Trump’s border tsar Tom Homan will begin leading on-the-ground efforts in city after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday escalated tensions.
Trump’s decision may indicate the administration’s interest in walking back more aggressive federal action in his nationwide immigration crackdown.
Despite the announcement, online tracking shows immigration raids have continued.
As well as the change in leadership and the reduction in federal agents, there have been other signs of a shifting strategy by the Trump administration in recent days.
Trump had phone calls with Democratic city and state officials that he described positively, a change in tone after attacking them over the weekend. And the president himself has avoided the language used by some of his top aides that sought to blame Pretti for Saturday’s tragedy.
