US President Donald Trump said he plans to “de-escalate” the situation in Minnesota after public anger grew over the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the deaths of two people during the operations.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump strongly defended ICE’s actions in the state. He claimed the agency had made Minnesota safer by removing dangerous individuals.

“We took thousands of hardened criminals out of Minnesota,” Trump said.

At the same time, he praised his border czar Tom Homan, whom he sent to manage operations on the ground.

“We have Tom Homan there now. We put him in there, he’s great. And they met with the governor, the mayor, everybody else. … We’re going to de-escalate a little bit,” Trump added.

Trump responds to killing and rejects “assassin” claim

Later, while speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump confirmed that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will remain in her position and will not resign.

Trump also addressed comments made by his deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who described Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old nurse killed by federal immigration agents, as an “assassin.”

“No,” Trump said when asked if he agreed with Miller’s statement.

However, Trump also added, “That being said, you can’t have guns, you can’t walk in with guns, you can’t do that. It’s a very unfortunate incident.”

President promises “honorable and honest” investigation

Trump said he is personally overseeing the investigation into the shooting. He stressed that the process would be fair and transparent.

He described the incident as “very sad” and said he felt sympathy for Pretti’s family, as questions continue to surround the circumstances of the killing.

Lawmakers raise concerns over ICE actions

Meanwhile, concern over the violence and the attempt to blame Pretti spread quickly to Washington.

Republican Senator Rand Paul said on Tuesday that the agents involved in the shooting should be placed on administrative leave. He later added that the leaders of ICE, Border Patrol, and Citizenship and Immigration Services are expected to testify before Congress next month.

On the Democratic side, Senator John Fetterman strongly criticised Homeland Security Secretary Noem. He said the department’s handling of the situation was “grossly incompetent” and called for her dismissal.