Donald Trump is now sending “border czar” Tom Homan to Minneapolis.Image: keystone
After the killing of another demonstrator in the US metropolis, the American president is making concessions in his migration policy. This is not an isolated case.
January 28, 2026, 7:34 p.mJanuary 28, 2026, 7:34 p.m
Renzo Ruf, Washington / ch media
So now Tom Homan should do it. Donald Trump’s advisor took command of the immigration police stationed in the metropolis in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Homan replaces Greg Bovino, whose behavior was sharply criticized after the shooting of American citizen Alex Pretti over the weekend. Although Homan is also a hardliner when it comes to migration policy, he is supposed to smooth things over.
This decision by Trump follows a pattern that characterized political crises during his time in office. Trump continually explores how far he can go – but when he reaches the limits of his power, he always retreats. A case history in four acts.
Act 1: Trump puts his finger on a sore point
The American president has a rare political talent. He is gifted at identifying a problem that his opponents want to ignore. In the Minnesota case it was: a huge welfare fraud in which American citizens with roots in Somalia were instrumental. Out of concern for an important group of voters, the local Democratic-dominated authorities did not take immediate action against these frauds. In November 2025, Trump took up this issue, linked it to his hatred of certain dark-skinned migrants from Africa, and launched a campaign.
Act 2: Trump is mobilizing the state apparatus
In his second term in office, there are almost no advisors left in the president’s entourage who openly contradict him. So his fellow campaigners went into action as soon as the president gave the signal that he now had Minnesota in his sights.
In December 2025, “Operation Metro Surge” began, a massive operation by migration authorities in Minneapolis and the neighboring city of St. Paul. At the beginning of the year, up to 3,000 employees of the ICE and CBP police forces were stationed in the “Twin Cities”.
Act 3: The excesses are increasing
The command of this one-off operation was taken over by Greg Bovino, who in Trump’s eyes had already proven himself in Los Angeles and Chicago – even though Bovino does not actually hold a leadership position in the border guard’s organizational chart.
But Bovino seemed dynamic. He looked like a sheriff from a western (or like a squad leader in a war movie) as he marched through the city streets with his men and randomly asked people about their immigration status. That pleased Trump, who likes to style himself as the chief police officer.
Greg Bovino could have stepped out of a war movie.Image: keystone
Of course, Bovino’s provocative appearance immediately sparked counter-protests. These were actually intentional – when the political opponent shouted slogans like “Abolish ICE!” screams, Trump sounds like the voice of reason to many voters.
But in Minneapolis the situation spiraled out of control, with the shooting of two demonstrators by security officials. The television images of the violent federal police went around the world.
Act 4: Trump is coming back
Even the most powerful television consumer in the USA saw the shocking footage. After the shooting of Renee Good, Trump apologized for the behavior of his special paramilitary unit. When Alex Pretti was shot in the back on Saturday and another storm of indignation swept through the country, Trump also began to ponder.
Throughout the weekend, sources in Washington say, the president was on the phone with nervous Republican allies and listened to his advisers’ attempts to explain things. The television images from Minneapolis, which showed chaotic scenes, also played an important role in these conversations. While Trump’s advisers said they had the situation under control, he saw firsthand that this was not true.
On Monday, Trump backed down. This behavior, which was not observed for the first time, earned him the nickname TACO-Trump (TACO for Trump Always Chicks Out = Trump always comes back). In the Minneapolis case, Bovino was demoted and replaced by Homan. In the future he will have to return to his day job as a border guard. A classic pawn sacrifice – a state employee who acted on behalf of the president but lost control in the process.
And Trump? He’s probably already looking for the next political hot potato in the White House that he can use for a campaign. (aargauerzeitung.ch)