Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, sharply rebuked White House border czar Tom Homan on Saturday for describing the situation in Minneapolis as a “theater,” a term that evokes military conflict zones. The criticism comes amid ongoing clashes between federal agents and protesters over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
Background on the Minneapolis Tensions
The dispute escalated following the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti last weekend by federal agents during a protest in Minneapolis. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would deploy Homan to Minnesota to oversee operations. This decision followed backlash against senior administration officials for their initial characterizations of Pretti.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem labeled Pretti’s actions as “the definition of domestic terrorism,” while DHS adviser Stephen Miller called him a “would-be assassin” on the day of the incident. However, video evidence indicates that Pretti, who was legally carrying a gun, did not reach for it and was shot after agents removed the weapon from him.
Kelly’s Response to Homan’s Language
During Thursday’s news conference, Homan addressed the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Minnesota. He stated, “There’s been some rotations. Another thing I witnessed when I came here, I’ll share this with you, I’ve met with a lot of people, a lot of agents. They’ve been in theater, some of these people have been in theater for eight months. So, there’s going to be rotations of personnel.”
Kelly addressed this terminology during an appearance on MS Now’s The Weekend on Saturday. “We use that operationally in the military,” the senator explained, referring to Homan’s use of “theater.” “He’s referring to Minneapolis as like a war zone, an area of conflict. It’s reprehensible that he’s referring to American cities and American citizens—just extend that to the next logical thing that’s in his head, that those people that live in Minneapolis are somehow the enemy. They’re not the enemy. They’re U.S. citizens.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Homan will manage ICE operations in Minnesota “to continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” Trump echoed support in a Truth Social post on Monday, writing that Homan “has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.”
At the press conference, Homan urged a reduction in “dangerous rhetoric” that he believes is inciting attacks on ICE officers and street clashes. He also mentioned reaching agreements with Democratic leaders in Minnesota, which, if enacted, could lead to a gradual withdrawal of federal immigration agents from the state.
Broader Context and Related Conflicts
Kelly’s remarks follow a public dispute with the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reprimanded the senator and sought to reduce his Navy rank and pension over a video in which Kelly advised troops they could refuse illegal orders. The Arizona Democrat has filed a federal lawsuit, claiming the Trump administration is retaliating against him for protected political speech.
Reactions from Key Figures
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X on Monday regarding Trump’s decision to send Homan: “This is good news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis. I have worked closely with Tom over the last year and he has been a major asset to our team—his experience and insight will help us in our wide-scale fraud investigations, which have robbed Americans, and will help us to remove even more public safety threats and violent criminal illegal aliens off the streets of Minneapolis.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison stated on Wednesday: “Huge numbers of Minnesotans, especially in the Twin Cities, have lost all trust in the federal government’s ability to treat all states, cities, and individuals equally under the law. Operation Metro Surge is clearly about political retribution against a state that has never voted for Donald Trump and that has policies in opposition to his agenda.”
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, commented on Thursday during an appearance on Newsmax: “Nobody can see those videos and say that that man was assaulting ICE agents. If we’re going to say that he was assaulting the police, I think that leads to more distrust of ICE.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized: “Illegal aliens that ICE is deporting broke our nation’s laws. DHS is a law enforcement agency, and it will continue to carry out immigration enforcement for the safety of Americans who have been victimized by rapists, murderers, drug traffickers, and gang members.”
Looking Ahead
Protests against ICE operations are set to persist and potentially intensify nationwide as tensions remain high in this polarized environment.
