• Marcos Charles memo orders “DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS” to avoid inflaming tensions during arrests
• ICE operations restricted to immigrants with criminal charges or convictions, ending broad neighborhood sweeps in Minnesota
• Megaphones issued to agents who must verbalize every arrest step while Border Patrol shifts to support role under Homan’s command

MINNEAPOLIS (TDR) — White House border czar Tom Homan unveiled a new ICE rule book Thursday that explicitly directs federal agents to shun communication with demonstrators while restricting enforcement to criminal targets only, marking a tactical retreat after two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens sparked national outrage. The internal guidance, issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters Wednesday, orders officers to avoid engagement with “agitators” during operations in the Twin Cities while transitioning to what officials term “targeted enforcement.”

The policy overhaul represents the most significant operational revision since President Donald Trump dispatched Homan to Minnesota Monday following the removal of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, whose aggressive tactics preceded weeks of violent clashes.

What Does the ICE Rule Book Require?

The guidance, disseminated by Marcos Charles, top official in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, commands agents to cease verbal engagement with demonstrators entirely regardless of circumstance. The directive arrives as Homan assumes direct operational control over a workforce that has faced escalating protests since the Jan. 13 killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse shot by federal agents in Minneapolis.

“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.” —Marcos Charles, ICE ERO Director, Jan. 28, 2026 via Reuters

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The policy shift constitutes a dramatic departure from the broad neighborhood sweeps that characterized recent Trump administration operations in sanctuary jurisdictions. Under the revised protocols detailed in the ICE rule book, agents may only target immigrants possessing criminal charges or convictions, eliminating the categorical enforcement that previously resulted in collateral arrests.

“We are moving to targeted enforcement of aliens with a criminal history. This includes arrests, not just convictions. ALL TARGETS MUST HAVE A CRIMINAL NEXUS.” —Marcos Charles, ICE ERO Director, Jan. 28, 2026 via Reuters

Additionally, the guidance transfers primary operational authority from the U.S. Border Patrol to ICE, relegating Bovino’s former command to a secondary support role after months of leading confrontational sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

Why Did Homan Issue the Agitator Policy?

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The rule book overhaul follows not only Pretti’s death but the earlier fatal shooting of Renee Good in separate encounters that have galvanized bipartisan demands for operational restraint throughout Minnesota. Both victims were U.S. citizens uninvolved in immigration violations, collateral damage in a crackdown that has sparked continuous demonstrations outside federal facilities in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Trump dispatched Homan with explicit instructions to “de-escalate” tensions after expressing frustration with how Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Bovino handled the Pretti shooting, which occurred during a protest following an earlier clash between the nurse and immigration agents captured on video.

“I came here to seek solutions, that’s what I’m going to do. Community safety is paramount. You can’t fix problems if you don’t have discussions.” —Tom Homan, White House Border Czar, Jan. 29, 2026 via CNN

Senate Democrats have leveraged the shootings to block Department of Homeland Security funding, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanding comprehensive ICE accountability reforms including mandatory body cameras and identification badge requirements. The standoff threatens a partial government shutdown at midnight Jan. 30, with Democrats insisting that no funding bill will pass without statutory constraints on immigration enforcement tactics.

“ICE is not a law unto itself.” —Patrick Schiltz, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for Minnesota via Newsweek

How Are Field Operations Changing?

Beyond the prohibition on agitator engagement, the ICE rule book mandates specific procedural modifications designed to reduce volatile street encounters. Officers must now carry megaphones to issue commands publicly and verbalize every step of the arrest process, replacing the stealth tactics that previously characterized immigration enforcement.

“Officers will receive megaphones so that they can issue commands to the public and need to verbalize every step of the arrest process.” —Internal ICE guidance via HuffPost

Agents may conduct license plate checks to identify targets but face strict limitations on engagement scope, with the White House stating Wednesday that “no guidance should be considered final until it is officially issued.” Homan emphasized at a Thursday morning press conference that while prioritizing criminal targets, broader enforcement continues through alternative mechanisms.

He secured agreements with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison allowing county jails to notify ICE of release dates for individuals deemed “criminal public safety risks,” facilitating custody transfers at detention facilities rather than through street-level arrests.

“Prioritization of criminal elements doesn’t mean we forget about everybody else. Enforcement will continue across communities.” —Tom Homan via Newsweek

Homan has pledged to remain in Minnesota “’til the problem’s gone,” signaling an indefinite deployment to oversee implementation of the new protocols. Legal observers question whether the agitator prohibition violates First Amendment protections for speech and assembly, while administration officials characterize the measures as temporary adjustments pending operational review.

“There are ongoing conversations on how to most effectively conduct operations in Minnesota.” —White House official via Reuters

Will restricting agents from engaging with protesters de-escalate tensions or simply blind federal officers to community dynamics that could prevent future violent encounters?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from Reuters’ exclusive review of internal ICE guidance, CNN’s coverage of Homan’s Minnesota press conference, Newsweek’s reporting on federal court proceedings, CBS Austin’s examination of the policy shift, HuffPost’s analysis of operational changes, Fox News’ coverage of Homan’s commitment to remain in Minnesota, Yahoo News’ summary of video evidence, ABC News’ reporting on Democratic funding threats, and KSTP’s local coverage of coordination between state and federal authorities.

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