Operation Metro Surge

2025-2026

Between December 4, 2025 and February 12, 2026, the Trump administration carried out Operation Metro Surge, an unprecedented immigration enforcement campaign aimed at detaining and deporting non-citizens across Minnesota. The operation, which began in Minneapolis and St. Paul yet soon expanded to communities outside of the Twin Cities, initially targeted the local Somali-American community on the pretext of widespread fraud and immigration violations. Within weeks, and as federal authorities struggled to located Somali-Americans who were here illegally or guilty of crimes, they redirected the bulk of enforcement efforts of targeting Hispanic communities.

From early on, Operation Metro Surge intended to overwhelm local communities through its sheer scale, breadth, and speed. At it's peak, Operation Metro Surge is believed to have involved over 4,000 federal agents, who conducted raids daily, often resulting in violent arrests, clashes, and standoffs with residents. Federal authorities frequently deployed less-lethal munitions including pepper spray, pepper balls, and tear gas in residential areas and against non-violent onlookers. Two legal observers and Minneapolis residents--Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti--were shot and killed by federal agents.

Operation Metro Surge led to the detention of at least 3,789 immigrants, a vast majority of whom had no criminal records. According to reporting from MPR News, roughly 35% of those arrested were considered untargeted, collateral arrests, with people being spotted and detained by agents on the street as a part of a widespread racial profiling campaign. Beyond these arrests, hundreds of citizen protesters and legal observers were detained as well for a variety of obstruction, assault, and other charges. Many of those facing prosecution have since had their charges dropped due to a lack of credible evidence, leading to accusations of rampant excessive force and political persecution on the part of federal law enforcement.

Rather than intimidating residents, Operation Metro Surge galvanized communities. Tens of thousands of people took part in a sustained web of demonstrations, protests, marches, and mutual aid efforts. Such efforts regularly disrupted and stymied federal operations. As a result of their efforts, the people of the Twin Cities were recognized with a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, while the residents of Minneapolis were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The images featured here were made on assignment for Reuters.