Op Metro Surge: How Minnesota Became Epicentre Of ICE Immigration Crackdown With 10,000 Arrests

Last Updated:January 25, 2026, 16:18 IST

The immigration crackdown began in December after some Somali immigrants were convicted in a major fraud case.

A federal agent holds a crowd-control weapon, following an incident where a civilian's car was hit by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Minnesota has emerged as the focal point of a major US federal immigration enforcement drive following two fatal shootings and a large-scale operation that has led to thousands of arrests. The crackdown has sparked protests, fear among residents and sharp political debate.

The enforcement push has drawn intense attention after two fatal shootings in January. Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman from Minneapolis, was killed on January 7. On January 24, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and US citizen, was also shot dead.

Both deaths occurred during a period of heightened federal immigration activity in the state, increasing scrutiny of the Donald Trump administration’s immigration policies in the Twin Cities area.

What Is Operation Metro Surge?

The crackdown is being carried out under Operation Metro Surge, described by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the largest interior immigration enforcement operation ever undertaken.

Launched in December 2025, the operation initially focused on the Minneapolis-St Paul area before expanding across Minnesota. DHS planned to deploy around 2,000 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other federal units to make arrests linked to removal orders and immigration violations.

DHS said more than 3,000 arrests had been made since the operation began. This includes nearly 150 US citizens who were charged with assault or obstructing law enforcement during protests or enforcement actions.

Surge of federal agents

ICE publicly escalated the operation on January 6, announcing on X that it would send 2,000 additional agents to the Twin Cities. “A 100% chance of ICE in the Twin Cities – our largest operation to date," the agency wrote.

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said agents were “surging to Minneapolis to root out fraud, arrest perpetrators and remove criminal illegal aliens."

According to reports, the federal government has assigned around 3,000 immigration agents to Minnesota, far exceeding previous enforcement efforts. DHS officials said more than 2,500 people have been arrested since November 29, while senior officials claimed arrests in Minnesota over the past year have crossed 10,000.

On January 19, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem wrote that more than 10,000 “criminal illegal aliens" had been arrested in Minneapolis, blaming state and city leaders for failing to protect public safety.

Reports of aggressive tactics by ICE

Residents and local officials have reported aggressive and wide-ranging enforcement methods. Armed and often masked agents have been seen at schools, daycares, churches and mosques. People say officers have stopped individuals at traffic lights or while walking to shops, demanding proof of citizenship at gunpoint.

Local law enforcement officers have raised concerns that enforcement is not limited to undocumented immigrants. The Guardian reported that those stopped included legal residents, visa holders, US citizens and tribal citizens.

In recent weeks, federal agents have also carried out forced home entries without judicial warrants. In one incident, officers used a battering ram to enter the home of Garrison Gibson, a 38-year-old Liberian man, and arrested him.

In another case, agents forced their way into the home of ChongLy “Scott" Thao, a 56-year-old US citizen, and led him outside in his underwear in freezing temperatures.

Emergency services under strain

Minneapolis’s 911 dispatch system has been overwhelmed with calls related to immigration enforcement. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said many callers reported injuries caused by chemical irritants and crowd-control weapons used by federal agents against immigrants, protesters and bystanders.

Political fallout in Minnesota

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticised the enforcement surge, calling it “a war that’s being waged against Minnesota."

He said the operation involved thousands of agents acting without coordination with state authorities and accused federal officials of turning the crackdown into a public display.

Minnesota is a politically sensitive state, which Donald Trump lost in the 2024 presidential election.

What Trump administration said?

During a visit to Minneapolis, Vice President JD Vance sought to reduce tensions. He said similar resistance was not being seen elsewhere in the country.

“We’re seeing this level of chaos only in Minneapolis," Vance said, blaming a lack of cooperation between state, local and federal law enforcement.

Minnesota has a population of over five million people. According to the Migration Policy Institute, around 100,000 undocumented immigrants live in the state.

The state is also home to the largest Somali community in the United States, most of whom are US citizens. Donald Trump has previously told Somali residents to “go back to where they came from" and referred to the community in derogatory terms.

The immigration crackdown began in December after some Somali immigrants were convicted in a major fraud case involving state welfare programmes.

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