In the midst of controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, Vice President JD Vance has asserted the White House’s unwavering commitment to its deportation initiatives. During an in-depth interview with the Daily Mail in his Washington, DC office, Vance firmly reiterated support for the ongoing deportation efforts, despite significant public outcry following the fatal incidents involving federal agents in Minneapolis. Concerns among Trump supporters have been growing, with fears that the President might be retreating from his campaign promises after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

In response to these events, President Trump dispatched Border Czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to assume control from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Homan has promised to reduce the number of federal officers in the area while engaging in discussions with Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz. When questioned about whether Homan’s remarks indicated a shift in policy, Vance dismissed such speculations. “No it doesn’t at all. We’re not surrendering,” he emphasized, clarifying that the administration aims to encourage cooperation to alleviate chaos, not withdraw from its objectives.

This stance illustrates the delicate balancing act the Trump administration is navigating as midterm elections approach. Recent polling by JL Partners for the Daily Mail reveals a majority of Americans, including nearly one-fifth of Republicans, are opposed to ICE and Customs and Border Protection raids, favoring an end to their operations in U.S. cities.

Trump has previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops in Minnesota amid anti-ICE protests and riots. The law of 1807 gives the President the legal authority to send out troops on American soil to quell civil disobedience. It was first invoked by Thomas Jefferson to deal with a plot to create a separate nation in the American West. The act was last used by President George HW Bush in 1992 after he deployed federal troops during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. When asked by the Daily Mail whether Trump’s pledge to send troops into Minnesota was still on the table, Vance declined to say, insisting he did not want to engage in hypotheticals.

‘You’re trying to get me to engage in a lot of hypotheticals … Let’s actually focus on reality and what’s happening on the ground. What we’re doing is trying to draw the chaos down,’ the Vice President replied. The Vice President also endorsed the administration’s move to require body cameras be worn by all federal agents in Minneapolis and said the change would protect law enforcement. Trump recently signaled he would not pull back immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota despite Homan’s prior statement offering to ‘draw down’ agents.