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The national administration has dispatched additional immigration enforcement agents to Minnesota, marking an intensification in its rhetoric and actions against the region and its sizable immigrant populations.

Federal Surge Confirmed by Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed on social media that it is “deploying additional forces to Minneapolis to root out fraud, arrest perpetrators and deport criminal undocumented individuals”. The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, told a news outlet that the agency has in the city “the biggest immigration operation ever underway right now”.

“We have the largest immigration operation ever taking place right now.” – Todd Lyons, ICE Official

Reports suggest the federal government is bringing in another two thousand agents, from both ICE and HSI, into the state for a 30-day period. While Lyons did not confirm that specific figure, he described it as a combined operation from both agencies. DHS declined to specify a number but acknowledged it had “surged law enforcement” resources.

Operation Metro Surge and Community Impact

Dubbed “Metro Surge,” the federal crackdown in Minnesota has been ongoing since the start of last month. In response, local residents have pushed back against ICE, organizing protests and impeding deportations. Meanwhile, some immigrants have allegedly stayed away from public life, skipping trips to grocery stores or medical care due to apprehension of being apprehended.

The top DHS official, Kristi Noem, appears to be on the ground in the state. She is featured in a government-produced video of an apprehension in Minneapolis of a man from Ecuador wanted for murder in his home country.

Political Context: High-Profile Cases and Comments

This focus on Minnesota comes while the state is grappling with several high-profile cases alleging fraud of social services. These cases have reportedly captured the attention of former President Trump and led to anti-immigrant comments from him targeting Somalis. It is worth noting, Minnesota is home to the largest 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 companies allegedly hiring undocumented people and that some agents would be “investigating these fraud cases”. He praised Secretary Noem for running an “highly effective 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 state government in history has had to fight a war against the federal government every single day. We are under assault 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 division between Minnesota and Washington authorities over this escalating crackdown.