US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is dispatching border czar Tom Homan to the state of Minnesota as tensions escalate following two fatal shootings by immigration enforcement agents.

"I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that Homan "has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there."

He said Homan, who oversees US border security and leads mass deportation efforts, is "tough but fair, and will report directly" to him.

Trump also said a "major investigation" is underway in the state related to alleged fraud, which he suggested is "at least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets." He earlier claimed that local officials use the unfolding events as a “cover-up” for allegedly stolen public funds.

The accusations stem from unproven claims by a right-wing influencer alleging fraud within Minneapolis-area daycare centers, particularly those operated by Somali residents, which local officials deny.

The White House said Homan will be managing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations on the ground in Minnesota “to continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”

“In addition, Tom will coordinate with those leading investigations into the massive, widespread fraud that has resulted in billions of taxpayer dollars being stolen from law-abiding citizens in Minnesota,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on the US social media company X’s platform.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Homan's arrival "is good news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis."

"We continue to call on the leadership in Minnesota to allow for state and local partnership in our public safety mission," she added.

Trump says Minnesota governor requested cooperation

Trump said in a separate statement that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz requested cooperation on criminal enforcement, adding they "seemed to be on a similar wavelength" during a phone call.

"It was a very good call," he said, adding he told Walz that Homan would contact him directly and that “what we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession."

"The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future,” said Trump.

He said Walz was happy about Homan coming to Minnesota and added that both want to further improve the state's crime situation despite a decrease in the crime rate.

Walz, for his part, said he had "a productive call" with Trump earlier Monday.

"I told him we need impartial investigations of the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents and that we need to reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota," he said.

Later, in a post on his Truth Social account, Trump said he had "a very good telephone conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, of Minneapolis."

Saying that "lots of progress is being made," Trump also announced that Homan "will be meeting with him (Frey) tomorrow in order to continue the discussion."

The deployment follows two shooting deaths of American citizens by federal agents during immigration operations, sparking mass protests in Minneapolis.

Trump urged Minnesota officials Saturday to let ICE "patriots do their job," warning that “12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!" (AA)

Update news