DHS Operation Metro Surge Makes More Than 4,000 Arrests in Minnesota

Law enforcement has so far arrested more than 4,000 illegal immigrants, including violent criminal individuals, from Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a Feb. 4 statement.

The operation, which was launched in December 2025, targets the “worst of the worst” illegal immigrants who have flocked to Minnesota, expecting that “sanctuary politicians will protect them,” the DHS said.

In its latest statement, the department said recent arrests include criminals convicted of sexual conduct with a minor and domestic assault. Among the arrested are a Honduran illegal immigrant convicted of domestic abuse, a Mexican national who has been arrested for possession of drugs and domestic battery, and an Ecuadorian illegal immigrant with a criminal history of sexual conduct with a minor.

“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,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.

“We need sanctuary politicians to cooperate with us by notifying us before releasing public safety threats back onto the streets to commit more crimes and create more victims. We will not back down from our mission to remove criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods.”

The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota has faced legal challenges. The state, together with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed an emergency request in the District Court, District of Minnesota, on Jan. 12, seeking to block the deployment of thousands of federal agents to the Twin Cities region.

Plaintiffs argued the law enforcement operations in Minnesota were harming citizens and alleged that the Trump administration’s actions amounted to a violation of Minnesota’s state sovereignty.

They asked for a temporary restraining order to block Operation Metro Surge, claiming it was necessary to calm down tensions between residents and federal agents.

On Jan. 31, District Judge Katherine Menendez issued her ruling in the case, denying plaintiffs’ request to block federal deployment.

Menendez said the state’s sanctuary policies require a greater presence of federal agents to support immigration enforcement compared to other places that actively support such activities.

The court “must view Plaintiffs’ claims through the lens of the specific legal framework they invoke, and, having done so, finds that Plaintiffs have not met their burden … the motion is denied,” the judge wrote in her ruling.

In a Jan. 15 statement, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that roughly 2,000 to 3,000 armed federal agents were deployed to Minnesota, accusing them of “pulling people over indiscriminately” and demanding to see their identification.

“Let’s be very, very clear: This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” Walz said. “Instead, it is a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.”

‘Decisive Step Forward’

The White House praised Operation Metro Surge in a Feb. 4 statement, highlighting the removal of more than 4,000 criminal illegal immigrants from Minnesota streets.

The arrests mark “another decisive step forward” for the Trump administration as it pushes forward the agenda to dismantle the “devastating effects” of open border policies, it said.

Last month, Customs and Border Protection reported zero releases of illegal immigrants along the southwest border for December 2025, compared to more than 7,000 releases under the previous administration in December 2024. This was the eighth consecutive month of zero border releases.

Meanwhile, White House border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that the Trump administration will immediately withdraw 700 immigration agents from the state.

Homan credited the withdrawal to the “unprecedented cooperation” achieved with local counties in terms of honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers on illegal immigrant prisoners. He also asked people to stop creating roadblocks for law enforcement operations.

“Everyone has a constitutional right to peacefully protest. President Trump and I, we completely support that,” the border czar said. “At the same time, professional law enforcement officers should and need to be able to perform their sworn duties without being harassed, impeded, or assaulted.”