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Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota: Recap
Operation Metro Surge first began in Minnesota two months ago. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim outlines what has happened since it began, and when it might end.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday every one of its officers in the field in Minneapolis will be wearing body cameras moving forward.
This comes as scrutiny grows over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota known as Operation Metro Surge.
Growing fallout
The backstory:
Operation Metro Surge began on Dec. 1, 2025.
Two months since the surge began, tensions are mounting after three federal agent-involved shootings sparked outrage.
Federal officers have fatally shot two people in Minneapolis – Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. Their deaths inspired protests in the Twin Cities and beyond.
No end date
What they're saying:
Border Czar Tom Homan said on Jan. 29 that the new strategy direction in Minnesota could lead to a drawdown of federal immigration agents.
"More agents in the jail means less agents on the street. This is common sense cooperation that allows to draw down on the number of people we have here. Yes, I said draw down the number of people here," said Homan. "Matter of fact, I have staff from CBP and from ICE working on a drawdown plan, what that would look like based on the cooperation."
By the numbers:
According to a court document, federal officials say there are roughly 3,000 federal officers in Minnesota as part of the operation. Typically, there are 80 officers covering immigration operations in the Twin Cities.
DHS secretary Kristi Noem says more than 3,000 arrests have been made since the surge began.
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Worst of worst arrests recently in federal custody
While the Trump administration repeatedly claims its immigration operations are getting "the worst of the worst off our streets," dozens of offenders listed on the DHS website were already in federal prisons.
Legal battle:
In a joint lawsuit filed in January, the State of Minnesota and the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued DHS to put an end to the immigration enforcement surge. This was just days after Renee Good was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
On Saturday, a federal judge denied the state’s request to immediately halt the surge.
Attorneys for the state said this is just the beginning of the lawsuit and they will continue fighting in court.
What's next:
The FBI is now leading the investigation into Pretti’s death. In a DHS report, federal officials say two officers fired shots during the encounter.