Trump’s record immigration crackdown turns Minneapolis into an "occupied zone"

MINNEAPOLIS – A massive federal immigration enforcement operation has effectively placed Minneapolis and St. Paul under what locals describe as a "siege," as thousands of armed agents flood the Twin Cities.

The initiative, dubbed "Operation Metro Surge," deployed approximately 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota. The federal presence now outnumbers the Minneapolis police force by a five-to-one ratio.

Armed and masked agents have established presences at schools, churches, and other public venues. Witnesses report officials stopping residents on the street at gunpoint to demand proof of citizenship.

While the operation is aimed at immigration enforcement, reports indicate agents have targeted undocumented immigrants, legal residents, U.S. citizens, and members of Indigenous tribes alike. ChongLy 'Scott' Thao, a Hmong American citizen, was reportedly arrested at his home during freezing weather.

Federal agents are also allegedly entering private residences without court-issued warrants.

The Minneapolis police chief stated that emergency 911 lines have become overwhelmed. The atmosphere of fear has forced many immigrant-owned businesses to close their doors as residents refuse to leave their homes.

The Twin Cities as a Proving Ground: The Militarization of U.S. Immigration Policy

Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities represents a profound strategic escalation in federal immigration policy, marking a transition from routine civil enforcement toward domestic militarization. By deploying federal units that outnumber local law enforcement and employing high-intensity tactical maneuvers—including the use of battering rams and the display of lethal force against civilians—the administration has effectively blurred the distinction between civil policing and military occupation.

Bolstered by recent Supreme Court jurisprudence, the executive branch is increasingly signaling a readiness to test the boundaries of constitutional restraint. The fact that legal advocates must now warn constituents that federal agents may disregard fundamental legal protections is a stark indicator of the eroding rule of law. This operation extends beyond the apprehension of undocumented individuals; it appears designed to cultivate a hostile environment for all minority communities, regardless of their legal status.

From a policy perspective, these maneuvers should be viewed as a tactical "stress test" for exerting federal pressure on sanctuary jurisdictions and immigrant-heavy corridors. By inducing social and economic paralysis—evidenced by the reported closure of 80% of immigrant-owned businesses during the surge—the campaign aims to achieve "economic strangulation" and the internal destabilization of community structures.

The detention of ChongLy 'Scott' Thao, a Hmong-American citizen, serves as a chilling case study. It conveys a clear message from federal authorities: in the current enforcement climate, U.S. citizenship may no longer serve as an absolute shield against state overreach for non-white Americans.

This incident has direct and alarming implications for the Vietnamese-American community. Enforcement tactics that profile individuals based on appearance or accents put community members at risk of federal harassment and excessive force, regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens or here on F2B, H-1B, or EB-5 visas.

The case of ChongLy 'Scott' Thao, a Hmong-American citizen, serves as a stark warning for Southeast Asian communities: citizenship is no longer a guarantee of safety in the face of increasingly aggressive law enforcement. For small business owners in Little Saigon and across the country, particularly those in the nail salon industry and phở restaurants, the prospect of such crackdowns could paralyze business operations and destroy the hard-earned livelihoods that sustain their families and the remittances they send home.