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TRANSCRIPT:
"So our friends from Minnesota, the heroes that they are, travelled across the country to be here in DC to send a message to our representatives – ICE out of Minnesota! ICE out of everywhere! Not one more dollar for ICE!”
It's a call that appears to have been answered.
United States President Donald Trump's border chief has announced the surge force of immigration customs enforcement, known as ICE, will withdraw from Minnesota - with the President's blessing.
Since the operation began at the beginning of December, it's been marred by controversy.
Two people were killed and more than 4,000 arrested and detained by ICE agents in operations in the north-central state.
This includes many people with no criminal records, including US citizens and children.
Border chief Tom Homan made the announcement.
"With that, and success that has been made arresting public safety threats and other priorities since this surge operation began, as well as the unprecedented levels of coordination we have obtained from state officials and local law enforcement, I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation concludes."
The decision follows backlash from US Senators who grilled government officials over the measures taken in Minnesota, which resulted in the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents.
Democrats called for ICE operations to be reformed, including the removal of masks, enforcing the use of body cameras and a switch of focus to criminal offenders.
Other Democrats called for ICE to be eliminated altogether, while Republican representatives defended the actions of ICE under the Trump administration.
US House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Chairman and Republican Andrew Garbarino called for a full investigation into the killing of the two US citizens in his opening remarks.
"When officials or elected leaders rush to conclusions about law enforcement or their fellow Americans, public trust suffers. There must be a complete and impartial investigation. I expect each of our witnesses to keep this committee fully informed as the investigations run their course, and I will ensure this happens."
Those on the ground are less optimistic about the news, with Minneapolis residents like Richie Mead determined to continue protesting until the agents leave the city.
"Actions speak louder than words. So until we see them actually leave, we don't believe it. We're gonna be out here until they prove it, until they stop running this Gestapo SUV, running through our streets, snatching up our neighbours, murdering our neighbours. Until that ends, we don't believe it."
Border chief Tom Homan shared a timeline for the withdrawal, saying he intended to stay in Minnesota until the drawdown was complete.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he had a "positive meeting" with Mr Homan on Monday, while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also said earlier this week that he expected Operation Metro Surge to end within a matter of days based on conversations with Trump officials.
But Mr Homan was clear the move doesn't signal an end to their immigration law enforcement operations.
"I'm not going to remove everybody out of the safety of our officers, but like I said, Operation Metro Surge is ending, and in the next week we're going to deploy the officers here in detail back to their home stations or other areas of the country are needed. But we're gonna continue to enforce immigration law, that's what American people voted for, but it has to be a priority of criminals. And look, I hear all the hate."
For Minnesota locals like Marty Smith, these latest caveats do little to ease the anxiety of residents.
"He's got a lot of conditions in there that they're gonna still be here and getting criminals. It's all about criminals, but they're not criminals, they're our neighbours. They're people we love. They're are people that go to work every day, hard working jobs. They're little kids who wanna go to school and are fearful."
