Trump Teeters on Brink of ‘Biggest Betrayal’ Since Bush
Trump is on the Brink of the ‘Biggest Betrayal’ Since Bush as Prez’s Deportation Agenda Faces Critical Test With MAGA Base Sounding Alarm Over MN Strategy Shift: Report
President Donald Trump’s signature immigration enforcement operation faces a crucial juncture as White House Border Czar Tom Homan arrives in Minneapolis to take control of deportation efforts that some conservative supporters fear could be scaled back within hours.
The leadership transition comes amid heightened tensions following the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by an ICE agent during federal enforcement operations.
Homan’s immediate task involves coordinating negotiations between Minnesota Democratic state leaders and the White House administration.
Immigration hardliners within the conservative movement have raised concerns that any agreement resulting in reduced ICE presence in Minnesota would represent a significant setback for Trump’s mass deportation initiative.
These fears intensified after the president indicated during a Fox News interview Tuesday that Homeland Security would “deescalate a little bit” in Minneapolis.
Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project and a longtime associate of Homan who has been dispatched to Minnesota, expressed hope that no compromise would be reached with Democratic state officials.
Howell has maintained a professional relationship with Homan spanning several years based on their aligned immigration views.
Howell advocated for maintaining current enforcement levels or even increasing federal presence in the Twin Cities rather than reducing operations.
He stated the mass deportation agenda could face complete reversal within 24 hours.
The Daily Mail reported that a White House source drew parallels to George H.W. Bush’s broken tax promise, suggesting any retreat on deportations would constitute the “biggest betrayal” of Republican voters since that 1993 episode which preceded Bush’s political downfall.
The current situation follows the death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE agent during federal enforcement activities in Minneapolis.
Protesters throughout the Twin Cities have subsequently disrupted ICE operations connected to the president’s deportation initiative.
Trump addressed reporters on the White House lawn, affirming his commitment to immigration enforcement while attributing responsibility for the situation to Democratic leaders.
Department of Homeland Security has reassigned Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, described as a close ally of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, to California as Homan assumes operational control.
Conservative media figures supporting mass deportation have criticized DHS leadership for removing Bovino following the fatal incidents.
Nick Sortor, a conservative media figure known for documenting confrontations between protesters and immigration agents, claimed in a Tuesday interview that border patrol agents received orders against arresting undocumented immigrants without criminal records.
Sortor referenced complaints from border agents remaining in Minnesota after Bovino’s departure, indicating they were instructed to refrain from arrests even when vehicle registrations revealed illegal immigration status.
Bovino departed Minnesota on Monday accompanied by several Border Patrol personnel, TTOA reported.
Howell expressed concern about the withdrawal of Bovino and associated agents from Minneapolis, suggesting the move benefits Democratic officials including Governor Tim Walz.
He questioned the rationale for negotiating with officials he associates with violent demonstrations against federal authority.
Howell recommended the White House intensify deportation efforts to make continued residence untenable for undocumented immigrants.
He advocated focusing on high-concentration areas through workplace enforcement operations to maximize deportation numbers, according to the Daily Mail.
During Trump’s first year back in office, the administration fell short of the president’s goal to deport one million undocumented immigrants.
ICE and Border Patrol removed approximately 675,000 noncitizens according to the DHS year-end count for 2025.
Trump secured his return to the presidency one year ago after centering his 2024 campaign on implementing mass deportations nationwide, responding to widespread frustration regarding mass migration at the southern border.
Recent polling data indicates challenges for the administration’s immigration agenda.
A Daily Mail poll shows Trump’s approval ratings have reached record lows, with immigration emerging as a liability.
Another Daily Mail survey found that 53 percent of registered voters believe immigration raids should cease, suggesting ICE operations face declining public support.
Howell urged Homan and White House officials to avoid allowing media-driven public perception to influence deportation strategy.
“They should focus on quantity and not what they think is the best political communications quality,” he concluded.
“So that means if you want to deport a high quantity, you go to places where there’s concentrations of illegal aliens, like worksite enforcement.”
The media narrative that Trump is "pivoting" and "deescalating" on his ICE raids. is wildly overstated. As long as the military occupations and the treatment of US cities as enemy territory continue, there's no pivot. It's that simple. 1/
— . (@GregTSargent) January 28, 2026
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