MINNEAPOLIS–ST. PAUL, Minnesota — The Department of Homeland Security has launched what it calls the largest immigration enforcement operation in the agency’s history, deploying roughly 2,000 federal agents and officers across the Twin Cities metro area as part of a sweeping crackdown tied in part to alleged fraud cases involving Somali residents.
DHS announced the operation Tuesday, dramatically expanding the federal law enforcement presence in Minnesota. According to officials briefed on the effort, most agents are operating in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement leading arrests and Homeland Security Investigations conducting door-to-door inquiries related to fraud, human smuggling, and unlawful employment practices.
Immigrant advocacy groups and local officials reported a sharp rise in federal agent sightings, particularly in St. Paul, with enforcement vehicles observed near apartment complexes, businesses, and parking lots. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accompanied ICE officers during at least one arrest, according to video posted online by the department. DHS said agents arrested 150 people Monday alone.
Gov. Tim Walz sharply criticized the operation, calling it “a war being waged against Minnesota” and accusing federal authorities of failing to coordinate with state leaders. City officials and community advocates said the surge has heightened fear, particularly within Minnesota’s Somali community, the largest in the nation.
The operation also sparked controversy after a Lakeville hotel canceled reservations for federal agents, prompting Hilton to remove the property from its booking system. DHS officials said the scale and duration of the operation could change as it continues.
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