Operation Metro Surge

Operation Metro Surge is an ongoing operation by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with the stated purpose of apprehending undocumented immigrants and deporting them. Beginning in December 2025, it initially targeted the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul), and later expanded to all of Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called it "the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out". The surge has been characterized by an escalation in the severity of ICE tactics, harassment, and threats against observers. It has involved the detention of US citizens and the arrest of 3,000 people.

Federal agents killed two civilian protestors during the operation: Renée Good and Alex Pretti, who were both US citizens. One person detained by ICE during the operation died while in custody. The operation has disrupted the economy and civil society of Minnesota, with schools transitioning to remote learning and immigration arrests disrupting everyday business activities. Thousands in Minneapolis have protested the ICE activity. The governor and attorney general of Minnesota have challenged the operation, stating that its primary purpose is "retribution" instead of immigration enforcement. On January 28, 2026, Minnesota chief US District judge Patrick Schiltz found that ICE violated at least 96 court orders in Minnesota since January 1, 2026. On February 3, Judge Jerry W. Blackwell said that the "overwhelming majority" of cases brought to him by ICE involved people lawfully present in the United States.

On February 4, White House "border czar" Tom Homan announced that the administration was withdrawing 700 immigration officers from the state effective immediately, which will bring the total number of officers deployed to the state down to 2,000. On February 10, Minnesota governor Tim Walz said that he expected the operation would end over the next few days following discussions with Trump administration officials. On February 12, Homan announced that the operation would end, but that the withdrawal would continue into the next week. However, Homan subsequently said that a residual immigration officer force of an unspecified size would remain in the state. In the following weeks, ICE continued to be active in the Twin Cities suburbs.