Minnesota has emerged as the epicentre of an intensified US federal immigration crackdown following two fatal shootings in January and a sweeping enforcement drive under Operation Metro Surge. The operation, launched by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in December 2025, has brought thousands of federal agents into the state and sparked widespread protests, legal concerns, and political backlash.

The killings of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident on January 7, and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and US citizen on January 24, occurred amid the enforcement surge and have intensified scrutiny of the Donald Trump administration’s immigration policies in the Twin Cities. Both incidents have been cited by critics as emblematic of rising tensions surrounding federal actions in the region.

Operation Metro Surge initially focused on the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area before expanding statewide. DHS described it as the largest interior immigration enforcement operation to date, deploying agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other federal units. ICE publicly escalated the operation on January 6, announcing plans to send thousands more agents to Minnesota to carry out arrests linked to removal orders and immigration violations.

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Federal officials claim the operation has resulted in more than 2,500 arrests since late November, with senior DHS figures stating that over 10,000 arrests have been made across Minnesota over the past year. Authorities say those detained include individuals accused of criminal activity as well as people charged during protests for obstructing law enforcement.

However, residents, civil rights groups, and local officials have raised alarm over what they describe as aggressive and indiscriminate tactics. Reports allege that armed agents have conducted stops near schools, places of worship, and residential areas, with some enforcement actions involving forced home entries and detentions of US citizens and legal residents.

The crackdown has triggered sharp political fallout. Governor Tim Walz condemned the operation, calling it an attack on the state, while Vice President JD Vance defended federal actions during a visit to Minneapolis, blaming local resistance for the unrest. The operation is unfolding in a politically sensitive state with a significant immigrant population, including the largest Somali community in the US, deepening national debate over the scope and consequences of immigration enforcement.

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