Federal immigration operation ends in Minnesota; local officials eye ‘path to recovery’

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal immigration agents will withdraw from Minnesota over the coming week as “Operation Metro Surge” comes to a close, Border Policy Director Tom Homan announced Thursday.

Homan said the decision to end the operation was based on a high volume of arrests and a decline in confrontations. Federal officials reported at least 4,000 arrests of individuals identified as public safety threats during the surge.

The departing agents will be redeployed to other regions to fulfill President Trump’s promises regarding border security and mass deportations, Homan added.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the "long road to recovery begins now," noting the operation’s significant impact on the state’s residents and economy. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the federal surge a "disaster" but expressed confidence in the city’s resilience.

The announcement came the same day Minnesota’s top officials testified before the U.S. Senate. During the hearing, Attorney General Keith Ellison described the operation as causing "real damage."

U.S. Representative Tom Emmer countered that testimony, arguing that state policies intended to protect immigrants have instead turned Minnesota into a haven for criminals.

The abrupt conclusion of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota signals a calculated pivot in the Trump administration’s immigration strategy, rather than a retreat. By framing the withdrawal as a redeployment for broader “mass deportation” efforts, officials have signaled a shift toward a more agile, high-intensity enforcement model designed to maximize political and operational leverage over Democratic-led “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

The Minnesota operation now appears to have served as a pilot program for a “surge-and-shift” tactic: deploying overwhelming federal resources in short bursts to spike arrest numbers and create a lasting deterrent before rapidly rotating to the next target. This creates a state of perpetual instability within immigrant communities nationwide—a strategic outcome that likely weighs as heavily in Washington’s calculus as the raw enforcement data.

The standoff highlights a widening chasm between federal and local priorities. While the administration defines success through the prism of enforcement metrics and “public safety” rhetoric, local leaders in Minnesota characterize the federal intervention as an economic and social disruptor. This friction underscores a fundamental disagreement over policy outcomes: Washington measures success by the volume of removals, while local governments prioritize social stability and economic health. Ultimately, this conflict transcends immigration enforcement; it represents an escalating constitutional battle over state sovereignty and the limits of federal power in local governance.

For the Vietnamese-American community in Minnesota, particularly throughout the Twin Cities, the conclusion of this operation brings a heavy sense of relief, yet a lingering anxiety remains. Even when aimed at criminal targets, large-scale enforcement sweeps inevitably create a climate of fear that permeates the entire community. Many small business owners, from those in the nail salon industry to local phở restaurants, saw a noticeable decline in business as customers stayed away and employees feared coming to work, worried they might be caught in a raid or subjected to an unexpected document check.

Governor Walz’s pledge to support businesses affected by these operations is especially significant for the community, as these disruptions have caused tangible economic harm. While the immediate threat has receded, the campaign has reinforced a pervasive feeling that one's immigration status is constantly under scrutiny. This undermines the fragile trust between the community and law enforcement, posing a long-term challenge to social cohesion in the region.