Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota have been instructed not to “COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE” with “AGITATORS” during future operations, according to new internal guidance from the agency’s leadership.
The updated instructions, circulated on Wednesday and exclusively reviewed by Reuters, also narrow the scope of enforcement activity to immigrants with criminal charges or convictions — a shift away from the broad sweeps that have fueled intense backlash, legal challenges, and street protests.
In the email, a senior agency official wrote:
DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS. It serves no purpose other than inflaming the situation. No one is going to convince the other. The only communication should be the officers issuing commands.
Under the revised approach, Reuters reported, ICE officers will be equipped with megaphones and directed to clearly announce each step of an arrest — an effort aimed at maintaining order after previously volatile scenes.
The guidance offers the clearest picture yet of how the Trump administration is adjusting its immigration crackdown in Minnesota amid mounting political pressure following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.
The new order follows President Donald Trump’s decision to place Minnesota operations under border czar Tom Homan.
Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander who had been leading the operation, has been demoted and is expected to retire.
