type: timeline_event
DHS announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had made 3,000 arrests in Minneapolis during the six weeks of Operation Metro Surge, the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed on social media that ICE had "arrested over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens" in Minneapolis, though official statements cited 3,000 arrests total.
ICE data revealed that only 103 out of 2,000 arrestees, approximately 5 percent, had records of violent crimes, contradicting the administration's rhetoric about targeting "the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens." A review of arrest records showed at least several individuals listed as arrested during the operation had actually been transferred from state custody to DHS before December 1, 2025, including one person transferred in 2003. Minnesota corrections officials publicly disputed the numbers and characterization of those arrested.
The economic impact was severe: Twin Cities businesses lost an estimated $10-20 million weekly, with some reporting nearly 80 percent revenue declines year-over-year. Schools transitioned to remote learning and thousands of residents protested federal immigration enforcement activities in their communities.