Federal agents have received a blunt new command: stop arguing with the crowds screaming at you. As first reported by Reuters on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to avoid interacting with protesters entirely.
An internal email sent by a senior official warns agents that engaging with “agitators” serves no purpose other than to “inflame the situation.”
The email, written in all capital letters, stated: “DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS.” Instead, agents are being given megaphones to loudly announce every step of an arrest, focusing only on the suspects with criminal charges.
READ: Truce Or Trouble? Minneapolis Mayor Defies Trump As Border Czar Tom Homan Takes Control
This “hands-off” approach to protesters aligns with what Border Czar Tom Homan said in Minneapolis this morning. After days of riots and attacks on agents following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Homan claimed he is ready to “draw down” the massive police presence if the violence stops.
He told reporters he had productive meetings with Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, agreeing that ICE can work with jails to pick up violent criminals safely rather than hunting them down in neighborhoods. Homan tried to strike a professional tone, saying he doesn’t want anyone to die and that his agents are just parents trying to do a job.
But California Governor Gavin Newsom isn’t buying the sudden shift in tone.
Speaking at a Bloomberg News event in San Francisco, Newsom warned that people should not be fooled by Homan’s talk of de-escalation.
READ: Trump Slams Door On California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Housing Plan In Rich Enclave
“These guys are not screwing around,” Newsom said darkly. He argued that the administration’s posture shouldn’t be considered credible just because they are tweaking their tactics on the ground.
Newsom then took a direct shot at Homan’s character, bringing up old allegations to question his integrity. The governor recalled an investigation into Homan regarding accusations that he accepted a bag with $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents—a case that was closed by the Trump administration.
“If Tom Homan – who was accused of a $50,000 bribe where charges disappeared … – is the adult in the room, we are more trouble than any of you think,” Newsom said.
For Newsom, the new orders to ignore protesters don’t change the fact that the administration is pushing a hardline agenda that he believes cannot be normalized.
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