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

Operation Details Confirmed by Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security has publicly stated that it is “deploying additional forces to Minneapolis to root out fraud, apprehend perpetrators and deport criminal illegal aliens”. The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, stated to a news outlet that the agency has in the city “the largest immigration crackdown ever taking place right now”.

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

Reports suggest the administration is sending another two thousand agents, from both ICE and Homeland Security Investigations, into the state for a 30-day period. While the ICE official did not verify that specific figure, he described it as a combined operation from both agencies. DHS would not confirm a number but acknowledged it had “surged law enforcement” resources.

The Crackdown Effort and Local Fallout

Dubbed “Metro Surge,” the federal enforcement push in the state has been ongoing since early December. In response, community members have pushed back against ICE, organizing protests and attempting to block deportations. Meanwhile, some immigrants have reportedly 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, is believed to be personally involved in the state. She is seen in a government-produced video of an arrest in Minneapolis of a man from Ecuador wanted for murder in his home country.

Political Context: Fraud Allegations and Rhetoric

This focus on Minnesota comes while the state is dealing with several prominent 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 specifically about Somalis. Notably, Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the U.S., and the vast majority of Somalis in the state are U.S. citizens.

Lyons further stated that officers have been “conducting visits” to businesses suspected of hiring undocumented people and that some agents would be “investigating these fraud cases”. He commended Secretary Noem for running an “awesome, successful operation” in Minneapolis and said the agents were fighting against sanctuary policies in places like Minnesota.

State Leadership Response

In a public statement, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz labeled the federal surge “outrageous” and part of a “war 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 petty, vile administration that doesn’t care about the well being of Minnesotans.” – Governor Tim Walz

The state's forceful condemnation highlights the deep political rift between Minnesota and Washington authorities over this intensifying crackdown.