Key takeaways

• Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota has expanded ICE-led enforcement in Minneapolis–Saint Paul since December.
• DHS has said the operation resulted in 3,000 arrests over six weeks.
• Minnesota, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul have sued DHS to halt the surge, calling it unconstitutional.
• Two people, Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, were killed in separate shootings involving federal agents during the surge.
• Court fights over protest restrictions and evidence preservation are still ongoing.

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Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota has expanded federal immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities since December, triggering large protests and a federal lawsuit by Minnesota, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul. DHS has said the operation led to 3,000 arrests in six weeks, while state leaders argue the surge is unconstitutional and has disrupted public safety.

What DHS says Operation Metro Surge is doing

DHS has promoted Operation Metro Surge as a public-safety effort focused on removing people it calls “criminal illegal aliens.” In a Jan. 19 public statement, DHS said agents arrested 3,000 people over six weeks.

Local and state officials dispute parts of the federal narrative, especially around use-of-force incidents connected to the operation. ABC News reported Minneapolis-area tensions rose after multiple shootings involving federal officers this month.

Minnesota lawsuit: what the state is asking the court to do

On Jan. 12, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul sued DHS and related federal agencies, asking the court to end the surge and declare it unlawful.

In the press release announcing the lawsuit, Ellison said, “The unlawful deployment of thousands of armed, masked… federal agents is hurting Minnesota.”

A federal judge has held hearings and has not issued a final ruling stopping the operation, according to reporting on the latest court proceedings.

Two killings during the surge drew national attention

On Jan. 7, Renee Macklin Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in south Minneapolis, MPR News reported.

On Jan. 24, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis, according to the Associated Press.

Protests and limits on federal tactics

The surge has prompted ongoing protests and community monitoring of raids in Minneapolis–Saint Paul.

A federal judge issued restrictions meant to prevent retaliation against peaceful protesters and observers, but PBS reported an appeals court later froze parts of that ruling while the appeal continues.

What happens next

The lawsuit over Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota continues in federal court, with the judge requiring further responses from the federal government.

Separately, multiple federal investigations are underway into the killing of Alex Pretti, AP reported.