Minnesota Observer Network Documented 578 of the Roughly 4,000 Metro Surge Arrests Federal Officials Claimed; Data Incomplete

On February 23, 2026, the Minnesota Reformer reported that crowdsourced data from Minnesota’s rapid-response networks includes 578 arrests during Operation Metro Surge, around 14% of the 4,000 arrests federal officials announced on Feb. 4. The Reformer added: “The data is incomplete and not intended to capture all ICE activity.” The White House had announced on Feb. 4 more than 4,000 dangerous criminal illegal aliens already arrested in Minnesota since Operation Metro began.

Agent counts differ by date and by what is counted. MPR reported on February 25, citing court filings, that fewer than 1,000 immigration agents are left in Minnesota, with ICE St. Paul field office director Sam Olson reporting about 270 ERO officers and 700 HSI agents still assigned as of Monday. Olson wrote that approximately 3,000 additional ERO officers and HSI agents were detailed during the operation; MPR put the peak at more than 4,000 including Customs and Border Protection personnel. The Star Tribune reported on March 4 that declarations filed Feb. 23 by DHS officials estimated just under 600 agents remain.

On Feb. 12, the Reformer reported that Tom Homan “could not say how many were targeted arrests of people deemed a safety threat.” The Reformer (Feb. 23) cited reports of agents going door-to-door pretending to be environmental canvassers; MPR (February 8) reported a restaurant owner’s account of men dressed as utility workers.

Later data: The Intercept reported on March 30 that ICE made 4,030 arrests in the state from December 2025 to mid-March 2026, and that 63 percent were of people with no criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.