Democratic leaders in Minnesota are celebrating the Trump administration’s decision to wind down “Operation Metro Surge,” claiming that grassroots anti-ICE efforts forced federal authorities to pull back. But former ICE chief and White House border czar Tom Homan made clear the move does not signal an end to immigration enforcement in the state.
After Homan announced Thursday that the large-scale immigration sweeps would conclude, several Democratic officials quickly framed the development as a win for local activists who had organized to impede federal agents from arresting illegal immigrants.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar credited demonstrators for what she characterized as a successful pushback.
“Minnesotans stood together, stared down ICE, and never blinked. Our state has shown the world how to protect our democracy and take care of our neighbors,” Klobuchar said. She added that ICE’s withdrawal “is just the beginning,” calling for “accountability for the lives lost and the extraordinary abuses of power at the hands of ICE agents,” along with “a complete overhaul of the agency.”
The operation had deployed roughly 3,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities. Most of those agents are set to return home, while approximately 150 agents who were stationed there before the operation will remain. Homan also said agents assigned to investigate fraud cases and those focused on anti-ICE agitators will stay in place.
Aisha Chughtai, a member of the Minneapolis City Council, described the drawdown as a point of pride for the community.
“Our community came together and pushed back an occupation of our city by the authoritarian Trump regime. A drawdown of this magnitude is something for our neighbors to be proud of. But we need ICE fully out of our city, not just reduced,” Chughtai said.
She urged continued vigilance and called for transparency, saying the “devastation caused by Operation Metro Surge cannot be quantified” and that Minnesotans “deserve transparency to be able to have accountability.”
Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez similarly hailed the announcement as a “victory,” crediting residents whose “resilience, strength, and dedication led to the announcement that ‘Operation Metro Surge’ will end soon.” Still, he said activists must continue pressing forward “until ICE is completely abolished,” urging the community to remain cautious and vigilant.
One of the state’s most prominent ICE watch organizations, Defend the 612, also declared success. Organizer Andrew Fahlstrom said tens of thousands of neighbors had united “to openly and courageously respond to the violent and immoral ICE surge day after day,” adding that Minneapolis had become safer as a result.
The group’s comments come amid heightened tensions following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, who was reportedly a member of an ICE watch group, by an ICE officer last month in Minneapolis. Weeks later, Alex Pretti was shot by Border Patrol after being seen on video kicking in a federal agent’s taillight and spitting on an officer. Pretti had also been described as an anti-ICE activist.
Homan, however, rejected the notion that the administration was retreating under pressure. He said the decision to reduce the federal presence was driven by “unprecedented” cooperation from local authorities, who have agreed to transfer illegal immigrants slated for release from jails.
The former ICE chief emphasized that the drawdown “doesn’t mean we are backing down from immigration enforcement or mass deportations,” signaling that while the footprint in Minnesota may shrink, the broader enforcement mission remains firmly intact.
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