ICE Activity in Minneapolis: Operation Metro Surge

Operation Metro Surge — Overview

Operation Metro Surge is the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted by DHS, deploying approximately 2,000–3,000 armed and often masked ICE and CBP agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.^[1]^[2] The White House claims over 4,000 “criminal illegal aliens” have been arrested since the operation began,^[3] though reporting indicates less than 14% of those arrested nationally had charges or convictions for violent offenses.^[4] ICE detainee flights from Minneapolis more than doubled from December to January.^[5]

Fatal Shootings

Killing of Renée Good (January 7)

ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renée Good in Minneapolis while her car was stopped in the street.^[6]^[7] The killing sparked immediate protests both locally and nationwide, with marches held in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other major cities.^[8]

Shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis (January 14)

A Venezuelan man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent in north Minneapolis. DHS said there was a car chase and struggle with an agent. Protests erupted near the scene, with federal agents firing tear gas and protesters throwing rocks and fireworks.^[9]^[10]

Killing of Alex Pretti (January 24)

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the VA, was shot multiple times and killed by CBP agents near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.^[11] Multiple video recordings and witness testimony contradicted DHS claims that Pretti brandished a weapon; he appeared to be holding only a phone.^[12]^[13] DHS Secretary Kristi Noem labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” a claim widely disputed by video evidence, witnesses, and officials.^[14]^[15]

Raids, Arrests, and Confrontations

January 13: Over 100 people confronted ICE agents raiding a home in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood. ICE fired pepper balls and tear gas at the crowd; federal agents also fired flashbangs outside the Whipple Federal Building, arresting 8 people.^[16]
January 13: ICE deployed checkpoints at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport to verify documents of travelers and employees.^[17]
January 18: Federal agents entered a U.S. citizen’s home without a search warrant, handcuffed him, and took him outside in freezing temperatures in his underwear. One person ICE claimed to be seeking had been in a Minnesota prison since 2024.^[18]
January 19 (St. Paul): ICE agents raided a St. Paul residence at gunpoint, detaining U.S. citizen ChongLy “Scott” Thao, who was taken outside in his underwear in below-freezing weather.^[19]
February 9: ICE arrested a man at the Hennepin County Government Center skyway who was making a court appearance on drug charges. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty called it “disruptive and disturbing” and said staff were afraid to leave their offices.^[20]
Refugee Arrests: Over 100 refugees without criminal records were detained, with many sent to a detention facility in Texas, as part of a DHS initiative announced January 9 to reassess refugee cases for potential fraud.^[21]^[22]

Protests and Community Response

January 9: Over 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Canopy by Hilton hotel in downtown Minneapolis where ICE agents were believed to be staying; 30 were arrested.^[23]
January 10: Tens of thousands assembled at Powderhorn Park.^[24]
January 23 — Statewide General Strike: An estimated 50,000 people marched from U.S. Bank Stadium to Target Center in −20°F temperatures. Over 700 businesses closed in solidarity. Over 100 clergy members were arrested at MSP Airport during a prayer protest.^[25]^[26]
January 25: About 1,000 rallied at Government Plaza in 3°F weather, calling for justice after the deaths of Good and Pretti.^[27]
Faith communities mobilized to offer concrete support to residents, including sanctuary spaces and legal aid coordination.^[28] Workers at Target Corporation staged strikes and wrote letters protesting corporate responses.^[29]

Legal Battles

January 23: Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, along with Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a federal lawsuit against DHS seeking to end Operation Metro Surge, alleging violations of the First, Tenth Amendments, and the Administrative Procedure Act.^[30]^[31]
January 28: Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz found that ICE had violated at least 96 court orders in Minnesota since January 1, 2026.^[32]
January 31: Federal Judge Katherine Menendez denied the state’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the operation, though she noted evidence of “racial profiling, excessive use of force, and other harmful actions.”^[33]
February 9: A federal judge refused to lift a temporary restraining order protecting refugees from arrest—ruling the DHS policy of detaining refugees with pending green cards likely violates the law.^[34]
February 7–10: Democracy Forward argued in federal court that detainees lacked access to legal counsel at the Whipple Federal Building.^[35]

Government Response and Drawdown

February 2: DHS Secretary Noem announced that all federal agents in Minneapolis would immediately be equipped with body cameras, with plans for nationwide expansion.^[36]^[37]
February 3: Border Czar Tom Homan announced a partial drawdown, with approximately 700 agents withdrawn. However, Mayor Frey stated that “2,000 ICE officers still here is not de-escalation.”^[38] The city estimated over $100 million in lost revenue since the operation began.^[39]

On February 9, Governor Walz said he expects the surge to last “days, not weeks and months” following conversations with Homan and the White House chief of staff.^[40]

On February 10, ICE Director Todd Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow testified before the House Homeland Security Committee—the first congressional oversight hearing since the Minneapolis shootings. Lyons refused to apologize for the administration labeling the shooting victims as terrorists.^[41]^[42] A partial government shutdown was underway over DHS funding, with Democrats demanding restrictions on enforcement including body camera mandates, mask bans for agents, and independent misconduct investigations.^[43]

Economic and Community Impact

The City of Minneapolis estimated losses exceeding $100 million in revenue since the operation began.^[39] Customer-facing businesses reported revenue decreases of 50–80%.^[44] Schools were forced into lockdowns, sporting events were canceled, and many residents stopped going to work.^[45] By January 9, Minneapolis police had logged over 3,000 overtime hours, with estimated costs exceeding $2 million for just a four-day period.^[46]