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More than 1,000 immigration agents have left Minnesota\u2019s Twin Cities area and hundreds more will depart in the days ahead as part of the Trump administration\u2019s drawdown of its immigration enforcement surge<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n WASHINGTON — <\/span>White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that more than 1,000 immigration agents have left Minnesota’s Twin Cities area and hundreds more will depart in the days ahead as part of the Trump administration\u2019s drawdown of its immigration enforcement surge<\/a>. <\/p>\n A \u201csmall\u201d security force will stay for a short period to protect remaining immigration agents and will respond \u201cwhen our agents are out and they get surrounded by agitators and things got out of control,\u201d Homan told CBS’ \u201cFace the Nation.\u201d He did not define \u201csmall.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said agents will keep investigating fraud allegations<\/a> as well as the anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service<\/a> at a church service. <\/p>\n \u201cWe already removed well over 1,000 people, and as of Monday, Tuesday, we\u2019ll remove several hundred more,\u201d Homan said. \u201cWe\u2019ll get back to the original footprint.\u201d <\/p>\n Thousands of officers were sent to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s \u201cOperation Metro Surge.\u201d The Department of Homeland Security said it was its largest immigration enforcement operation ever<\/a> and proved successful. But the crackdown came under increasing criticism as the situation grew more volatile and two U.S. citizens were killed.<\/p>\n Protests<\/a> became common. A network of residents worked to help immigrants, warn of approaching agents or film immigration officers\u2019 actions. The shooting deaths of Renee Good<\/a> and Alex Pretti<\/a> by federal officers drew condemnation and raised questions over officers\u2019 conduct, prompting changes to the operation.<\/p>\n