The Trump administration has intensified its immigration enforcement in Minnesota, deploying additional agents as part of what officials describe as the largest operation of its kind. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed it is surging law enforcement to Minneapolis to target fraud and remove illegal immigrants, while acting ICE director Todd Lyons stated it was the agency's largest operation ever.
Although the exact number remains unconfirmed, reports suggest around 2,000 agents from ICE and Homeland Security Investigations have been dispatched for a 30-day period. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in the state and featured in a video of an arrest of an Ecuadorian man wanted for murder in his home country.
The operation, named 'Metro Surge', began in early December and has seen community protests and efforts to impede deportations. Some immigrants have avoided public activities like grocery shopping or medical care due to fear of apprehension. The focus on Minnesota follows high-profile fraud cases and xenophobic comments from President Trump about the state's Somali population, which is the largest in the US.
Governor Tim Walz criticised the surge, calling it 'ridiculous' and part of a war against Minnesota. 'We are under assault like no other time in our state’s history because of a petty, vile administration that doesn't care about the wellbeing of Minnesotans,' he said.
