The President of the United States has directed the Department of Homeland Security not to intervene in protests in Democratic-run cities unless they seek federal help.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to avoid getting involved in protests in Democratic-controlled cities unless they seek federal help.

Saturday’s announcement follows a massive deployment of Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Minneapolis, where they were killed by federal agents, sparking weeks of protests.

Trump, a Republican, said on his “Truth to Society” platform that he had directed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that “under no circumstances will we engage” in protests in Democratic-run cities “unless they ask us for help.”

But he wrote that ICE and Border Patrol would act aggressively to protect federal buildings.

“There will be no spitting in the face of our officers, no punching or kicking in the headlights of our cars, no throwing of rocks or bricks at our vehicles or Patriot warriors. If anything, these individuals will suffer the same or worse consequences,” he said.

“We will not allow our courthouses, federal buildings or any other objects under our protection to be damaged in any way, shape or form,” he added.

There was no immediate comment from the Department of Homeland Security or the office of Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey.

Trump launched an immigration crackdown last year that targeted Democratic-led states and cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, saying militarized operations were necessary to drive criminals out of the United States.

The crackdown in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s largest city, is the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever, with about 3,000 agents deployed, according to federal officials. The operation began in November and officials blamed it in part on fraud allegations involving residents of Somali origin.

The surge pitted city and state officials against the federal government, sparked daily clashes between activists and immigration officials, and led to the Jan. 7 killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents who said they were responding to threats. However, bystander video and eyewitness accounts contradict these claims.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Minneapolis and other U.S. cities on Friday to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and others have also questioned the surge in immigration enforcement in the state, arguing that the Department of Homeland Security is violating constitutional protections.

But a federal judge said she would not stop enforcement efforts as the lawsuit proceeds. Justice Department lawyers called the lawsuit “legally frivolous.”

Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapallo, reporting from Minnesota, said Trump’s latest statement showed the White House was taking a softer stance on cracking down on immigration.

He pointed to the Trump administration’s decision to replace Border Patrol senior commander Greg Bovino, who has been leading the crackdown in Minneapolis, with border czar Tom Homan.

Federal agents will focus on targeted operations in Minneapolis, moving away from widespread street sweeps that have stoked outrage, and he will reduce the number of agents deployed to the city if they get “cooperation” from state and local leaders, the top official said Thursday.

“All of this points to more cooperation between local authorities and federal officials, which gives the city a little bit of optimism that tensions may be starting to calm down,” Rapallo said.

“But that doesn’t mean the riots are over. If anything, what we’re hearing from protesters is that these protests we see every day will not end without a complete withdrawal of federal troops,” he added.