🔗 Share this article The Former President's Administration Intensifies Attack on The North Star State with Additional Immigration Officers The federal government has deployed a fresh wave of immigration officials to Minnesota, representing an escalation in its campaign and rhetoric targeting the state and its immigrant communities. 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 undocumented individuals”. The top official of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, told a news outlet that the agency has in the city “the biggest immigration crackdown ever taking place right now”. “We have the largest immigration operation ever taking place right now.” – Todd Lyons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director News accounts indicate the federal government is sending another 2,000 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 “increased law enforcement” resources. Operation Metro Surge and Local Fallout Dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” the federal crackdown in the state has been underway since early December. In reaction, community members have fought back against ICE, organizing protests and attempting to block deportations. Meanwhile, some immigrants have allegedly stayed away from public life, forgoing trips to grocery stores or medical care due to apprehension of being detained. 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 arrest in Minneapolis of a man from Ecuador sought for murder in his home country. Political Context: High-Profile Cases and Rhetoric This fixation on Minnesota comes while the state is grappling with several high-profile cases alleging fraud of social services. These cases have allegedly drawn the focus of former President Trump and led to xenophobic comments from him specifically about Somalis. Notably, Minnesota is home to the biggest Somali population in the U.S., and the majority of Somalis in the state are U.S. citizens. Lyons further stated that officers have been “conducting visits” to companies allegedly hiring undocumented people and that some agents would be “investigating these fraud cases”. He commended Secretary Noem for leading an “awesome, successful operation” in Minneapolis and said the agents were fighting against local non-cooperation policies in places like Minnesota. State Leadership Response In a press conference, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz labeled the federal surge “ridiculous” and part of a “conflict that’s being waged against Minnesota”. “In my view, any government in history has had to fight a war against the federal government every single day. We are being attacked like no other time in our state’s history because of a petty, vile administration that is indifferent to the well being of Minnesotans.” – Governor Tim Walz The governor's strong condemnation highlights the significant division between Minnesota and Washington authorities over this escalating enforcement initiative.