MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Hennepin County sheriff says her office has not entered into any new deals with the federal government, “despite what some influential leaders have conveyed.” 

This comes after White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced a major drawdown of federal immigration agents. 

Hennepin Co. Sheriff on ICE surge ending

What they’re saying:

Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said in a news conference Friday that even though Operation Metro Surge is winding down, trust in law enforcement has been “eroded.”

Witt defended how her deputies handled Operation Metro Surge, calling the immigration operation “unprecedented” and said her deputies didn’t have a “template.”

She continued to thank her deputies for doing their job, but said her office will be addressing “all issues” and seeing what can be improved. 

The sheriff did reiterate her office has not “entered into any new agreements with the federal government, despite what some influential leaders conveyed.” 

“Communication and relationships will be critical as we move forward. I’ve always said that leaders at the local, state and federal level must come to the table together,” Witt said. “A real leader, a real leader prioritizes understanding, communication, reflection, and conveying truthful information responsibly, not just based off of your limited views.”

Witt went on to say that if anyone is “confused” about policies her office has adopted, they should “ask.” 

Hennepin Co. board told sheriff to not alter ICE policy

The backstory:

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution urging the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office not to change its policy on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

READ MORE: Hennepin Co. board tells sheriff not to alter ICE policy

The board passed the resolution Thursday afternoon, stating they support the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office’s current policy regarding cooperating with ICE, which is not honoring detainer requests from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to the resolution, the board is telling the sheriff to not make “substantive changes to the policy to voluntarily increase cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.”

The board goes on to ask the sheriff to notify the public and the board if there are any changes to the policy that would increase cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Operation Metro Surge ending: Minnesotans react

After more than two months of an increased immigration enforcement presence in Minnesota, Border Czar Tom Homan announced on Thursday that Operation Metro Surge would be drawing to a close, with most federal agents leaving by next week. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim is live at the Alex Pretti shooting memorial site with reactions from Minnesotans.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are meeting on Thursday afternoon, Mamdani said, with expected topics to include the municipal response to President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda.

Frey’s office did not immediately return a message seeking comment about the meeting between the men, both Democrats who lead Blue cities.

“I look forward to getting to know him and also to speaking about the importance of protecting each one of our residents, including the immigrants who call both of our cities home,” Mamdani said on Thursday, appearing at an unrelated event at New York City Hall. The meeting is not on Mamdani’s public schedule.

So far, New York City has avoided the surge of thousands of immigration enforcement agents in the past two months that the Trump administration has unleashed in cities like Minneapolis, which has been beset by street protests, widespread unrest and the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by federal agents.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said the enforcement surge in Minnesota was being dialed back and that Minneapolis officials had agreed to let agents detain immigrants at local jails, a claim the city had not confirmed.

Asked at the news conference, Mamdani declined to say why a similar arrangement should not be the policy in New York City.

“I am proud of our sanctuary city policies that we have. I believe that our values and our laws are not bargaining chips. They are not things for us to be ashamed of, and they are also policies that have sought and delivered on keeping New Yorkers safe over many years,” the mayor said. “I’ll let the mayor of Minneapolis speak to the policies there.”

Last year, Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, tried to return immigration agents back onto the city’s Rikers Island jail complex — from which the de Blasio administration had booted them about a decade ago — but the idea was rebuffed by a judge and never implemented.

Details of the meeting between Frey and Mamdani — such as when, where and who else would be there — were not provided.

“I look forward to hearing about that meeting and the conversation,” said the New York City Council speaker, Julie Menin.