Minneapolis, Minn.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it has initiated what officials are calling the “largest immigration enforcement operation ever” carried out by the agency, deploying approximately 2,000 federal agents and officers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
The massive surge, which began escalating over the weekend, targets alleged fraud in federal programs and the arrest and removal of individuals described by DHS as “criminal illegal aliens.” The operation focuses heavily on Minnesota’s large Somali-American community, home to the nation’s biggest Somali diaspora.
“The largest DHS operation ever is happening right now in Minnesota,” the department posted on X, emphasizing efforts to “root out fraud, arrest perpetrators and remove criminal illegal aliens.”
According to multiple sources familiar with the planning, the deployment includes about 1,500 officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for deportations, plus around 600 agents from Homeland Security Investigations to probe fraud cases involving child care, nutrition, housing, and other social services programs.
DHS spokespeople have highlighted early results, claiming over 1,000 arrests of individuals labeled as “murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members,” though specific details on those detained have not been released, citing officer safety.
The operation builds on heightened federal activity in the Twin Cities late last year, including “Operation Metro Surge,” which had already led to hundreds of arrests. It comes amid ongoing scrutiny of fraud schemes in Minnesota, where prosecutors have charged dozens—many with Somali ties—in cases involving millions in misappropriated federal funds, including a high-profile $300 million pandemic-era meal program scandal.
President Trump has frequently linked the state’s issues to its Somali population, previously calling the community “garbage” and accusing it of “ripping off” the state. The latest surge follows a viral video late last year alleging empty Somali-run day care centers receiving federal funds, prompting frozen child care assistance and intensified investigations.
Community leaders and advocates have decried the operation as fear-mongering and racially targeted. Many Somali-Americans in Minnesota are U.S. citizens, and residents report avoiding public spaces, schools, and medical care due to apprehension fears. Protests have erupted, with some impeding arrests, while immigrant rights groups dispatch rapid-response teams.
Local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have criticized the tactics, warning of due process violations. A Hilton hotel in the area faced backlash after reportedly canceling reservations for federal agents, later removed from the chain’s system.
DHS Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons described the effort in media interviews as unprecedented, involving door-to-door checks at businesses and suspected fraud sites. Specialized tactical units and Border Patrol personnel, including controversial commander Gregory Bovino, are also involved.
The 30-day surge represents one of the heaviest concentrations of federal immigration forces in a single U.S. city in recent history, amid broader Trump administration priorities on mass deportations and program integrity. The situation remains tense, with potential for shifts in scope as the operation unfolds.