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The federal government has deployed additional immigration enforcement agents to Minnesota, representing an escalation in its campaign and rhetoric against the region and its sizable immigrant populations.

Operation Details Announced by Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security has publicly stated that it is “deploying additional forces to Minneapolis to eradicate fraud, arrest perpetrators and remove criminal undocumented individuals”. The top official of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, told a news outlet that the agency has in the city “the biggest immigration crackdown ever underway right now”.

“Our agency has the largest immigration operation ever taking place right now.” – Todd Lyons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Official

News accounts suggest the administration is sending another 2,000 agents, from both ICE and HSI, into the state for a one-month period. While the ICE official did not confirm that specific figure, he described it as a combined operation from both agencies. DHS would not confirm a number but acknowledged it had “increased law enforcement” resources.

Operation Metro Surge and Community Impact

Dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” the agency's crackdown in the state has been ongoing since early December. In response, community members have fought back against ICE, engaging in protests and attempting to block deportations. Meanwhile, some immigrants have reportedly stayed away from public life, forgoing trips to grocery stores or medical care due to apprehension of being detained.

The top DHS official, Kristi Noem, is believed to be personally involved in the state. She is seen in a DHS video of an arrest in Minneapolis of a man from Ecuador sought for murder in his home country.

Political Context: High-Profile Cases and Rhetoric

This fixation on Minnesota comes while the state is dealing with several prominent cases alleging fraud of social services. These cases have allegedly drawn the attention of former President Trump and led to anti-immigrant comments from him specifically about Somalis. It is worth noting, Minnesota is home to the biggest Somali population in the U.S., and the majority of Somalis in the state are U.S. citizens.

Lyons added that officers have been “going door to door” to businesses allegedly hiring undocumented people and that some agents would be “investigating these fraud cases”. He praised Secretary Noem for running an “awesome, successful operation” in Minneapolis and framed the effort as fighting against local non-cooperation policies in places like Minnesota.

State Leadership Response

In a press conference, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the federal surge “ridiculous” and part of a “conflict that’s being fought against Minnesota”.

“In my view, any government in history has had to fight a war against the federal government every single day. We are being attacked like no other time in our state’s history because of a spiteful, malicious administration that doesn’t care about the well being of Minnesotans.” – Governor Tim Walz

The governor's strong criticism highlights the deep political rift between state and federal authorities over this intensifying crackdown.