The ICE raids are over, but some Minnesotans say they still live in fear
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
People demonstrate against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Cinco de Mayo parade in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 2 May
Aliah, a 20-year-old student in Minnesota, expected her new American life to be all about studying and work after fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 and being granted asylum in the US.
But earlier this year, when federal immigration enforcement agents flooded the Minneapolis area during Operation Metro Surge, she faced a much different reality. Months after the operation's official end, its effects still linger.
"We're still a little scared," Aliah, who has a green card, told the BBC. Like several people in this report, she is not sharing her real or full name over safety concerns, but her identity has been verified.
Her family is praying the immigration operation in Minnesota doesn't ramp up again. "We don't have anywhere to go if we go back to my country."
Operation Metro Surge began last December as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, especially those that commit crimes. He linked the operation to a sprawling federal fraud investigation which found problems in the state's childcare industry, which the administration said involved mostly defendants from the state's large Somali community.
But public outcry grew after federal agents shot and killed two US citizens who were protesting against the operation - Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37 - in separate incidents in January.
By the end of February, amid a growing backlash, including from some Republicans, the administration announced it was pulling hundreds of agents out of the city.
Image source, Getty Images
A protester was pinned to the ground by federal agents and a chemical irritant was sprayed directly into his face in Minneapolis in January
While life has returned to some sense of normalcy, Minnesota's immigrant community says they still grapple with residual trauma, economic impacts and uncertainties surrounding immigration status.
Fatima, 19, a Somali refugee who was granted asylum, returned to in-person high-school classes in April after months of online learning.
While she says she's happy to be back, her fear remains.
"I ask myself every day... I say, 'if they come back, what are you going to do?' I'm scared still if they come back," she said.
"When you have an invasion like this, people continue to experience the ramifications of that for a long time," said Michelle Eberhard, director of refugee services at International Institute of Minnesota. "People are still living through that trauma."
Image source, Reuters
During the height of the operation, masked agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) patrolled streets, raided homes and schools and detained thousands.
Katie, a Minneapolis teacher, led school efforts to deliver groceries and collect donations for impacted students - most chose to stay home, rather than risk an ICE raid at their school. She told the BBC her school wrapped up its aid programme in April, but continued dispersing remaining funds.
Even as a US citizen, she still feels the effects, especially when driving by the memorials set up to remember Pretti and Good. "The city is just this minefield of ghosts," she said. "Even when you forget about it, it just pops up again."
Although school is back to normal, Katie added, some students had to drop out and support their families after relatives lost jobs during the operation.
Image source, Getty Images
A memorial to Alex Pretti set up at the location where federal agents shot and killed him
The Trump administration has said Metro Surge was a success and was necessary to get "vicious criminals, including murderers, rapists, gang members, and terrorists" out of the country.
By mid-February, a thousand federal agents had left the state and hundreds more followed, with only a "small force" remaining "for a short period".
While ICE's presence in the city has diminished, agents are still around. In a March lawsuit, the federal government said there were still 482 agents in Minnesota, according to the plaintiff, ACLU-MN. Additionally, about 190 federal agents worked in ICE's St Paul office before Metro Surge, the ACLU said.
Border Czar Tom Homan said that, "moving forward, ICE will be conducting targeted immigration enforcement operations" like it has done "for decades". ICE told the BBC that it does not disclose information about its operations.
The presence of federal agents is still seen and felt, particularly in more rural areas, said Morgan Budiandri, of MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).
"The deportation machine has kind of turned more surgical, so to speak. There's less activity in the cities where there's a lot more prying eyes," Budiandri said. "But out in the suburbs, we still have reports of officers coming to businesses demanding to see a manifesto of undocumented employees."
Image source, Getty Images
A rally and demonstration in February demanding justice for the Minneapolis community and its immigrants
ICE deportation flights also continue, according to ICE Flight Monitor at Human Rights First, an international human rights nonprofit which tracked around a hundred out of Minneapolis this year. The number of flights - predominantly to El Paso, Texas - is reducing monthly.
DHS said it arrested thousands of "criminal illegal aliens" in Minnesota, and in a statement to the BBC, listed arrests of 23 immigrants it said were convicted or charged with crimes, including murder, rape, domestic violence, and theft.
Data shows more than 60% of those arrested in Minnesota did not have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, according to government data obtained by the Deportation Data Project, external.
Some Minnesota Republicans supported the crackdown, like state Representative Joe McDonald, who also acknowledged earlier this year that "mistakes were made. We're not perfect". Backlash after the deaths of Good and Pretti led to Trump removing Greg Bovino, the head of the action in Minneapolis, in January.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Law enforcement officers stand guard as protestors demonstrate against ICE operations in Minneapolis in March
But enforcement did not stop. In January, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced that it would re-vet 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who had not yet received green cards. It deemed the previous administration's vetting "wholly inadequate", and has sought to expand the initiative on a national scale.
Eberhard said that some refugees were transferred to ICE detention out of state, and re-interviewed on their refugee claims without legal representation.
While the situation in Minnesota has "shifted out of chaos", she said, the city is now in a "very big period of ongoing uncertainty", with some getting letters post-review saying the government intends to revoke their refugee status, and others receiving radio silence.
"I'm confident there are many people who still aren't leaving their homes," Eberhard said.
Minneapolis' economy struggled after Metro Surge, too. Businesses along one street in Phillips, a predominantly Hispanic neighbourhood in south Minneapolis, were hit particularly hard.
The mile-long Lake Street corridor has hundreds of immigrant-owned small businesses. During the height of Metro Surge, at least half closed, according to the Lake Street Council. That caused a monthly revenue drop of over $30m (£22.7m) for Lake Street businesses, the council estimates.
"The economic devastation to Lake Street businesses because of Operation Metro Surge was immediate and severe," said Theresa Swaney, council director of operations.
"The terror inflicted on this community was significant, and its effects on Minneapolis and Lake Street in particular will be long-lasting."
Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images
The storefront of a business on Lake Street in south Minneapolis, a neighbourhood heavily impacted by Metro Surge
Many lost income and struggled to pay rent as they stayed home from work out of fear of arrest; the US Immigration Policy Center estimated in March that workers across Minneapolis and St Paul lost about $240m in wages.
Businesses across the Twin Cities likely lost a combined $610m in revenue because of Metro Surge, the USIPC estimated.
Statewide eviction filings in 2026 were up 8% compared to last year, according to the Eviction Lab, a Princeton University-based research centre.
When asked for comment on how Metro Surge affected the local economy, DHS responded: "The cost of American lives saved is incalculable", pointing to arrests of convicted immigrants.
Immigration advocates, however, warn that the impact of the crackdown will be felt for a long time.
"Transformation can come from pain," says Katie the teacher, "but what these children have witnessed, it will affect our city. It'll affect what they vote for, what they believe in, what they think of our government."
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement initiative launched in December 2023 as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, formally concluded by late February 2024. The operation deployed thousands of agents across the Minneapolis area and was linked to a federal fraud investigation involving Minnesota's childcare industry. In January, federal agents fatally shot two US citizens—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—during separate protest incidents. Following public backlash, including from some Republicans, the administration withdrew hundreds of agents. Months after the operation's official end, members of Minnesota's immigrant communities—including asylum seekers and refugees—report persistent anxiety about potential enforcement resumption. Schools experienced enrollment drops as students avoided in-person attendance; Lake Street, a predominantly Hispanic neighbourhood, saw at least half its immigrant-owned businesses close temporarily, resulting in an estimated $30m monthly revenue loss. Broader estimates suggest Twin Cities businesses lost approximately $610m in combined revenue, and Minneapolis–St Paul workers lost about $240m in wages. Government data indicates that more than 60% of those arrested lacked criminal convictions or pending charges. Federal agents numbering around 482 remain in Minnesota, ICE deportation flights continue at reduced frequency, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services is re-vetting approximately 5,600 refugees who had not yet received green cards. Refugee services officials describe the current environment as a period of 'ongoing uncertainty,' with some refugees receiving deportation intent letters or radio silence following re-interviews conducted without legal representation.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
People demonstrate against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Cinco de Mayo parade in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 2 May
Aliah, a 20-year-old student in Minnesota, expected her new American life to be all about studying and work after fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 and being granted asylum in the US.
But earlier this year, when federal immigration enforcement agents flooded the Minneapolis area during Operation Metro Surge, she faced a much different reality. Months after the operation's official end, its effects still linger.
"We're still a little scared," Aliah, who has a green card, told the BBC. Like several people in this report, she is not sharing her real or full name over safety concerns, but her identity has been verified.
Her family is praying the immigration operation in Minnesota doesn't ramp up again. "We don't have anywhere to go if we go back to my country."
Operation Metro Surge began last December as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, especially those that commit crimes. He linked the operation to a sprawling federal fraud investigation which found problems in the state's childcare industry, which the administration said involved mostly defendants from the state's large Somali community.
But public outcry grew after federal agents shot and killed two US citizens who were protesting against the operation - Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37 - in separate incidents in January.
By the end of February, amid a growing backlash, including from some Republicans, the administration announced it was pulling hundreds of agents out of the city.
Image source, Getty Images
A protester was pinned to the ground by federal agents and a chemical irritant was sprayed directly into his face in Minneapolis in January
While life has returned to some sense of normalcy, Minnesota's immigrant community says they still grapple with residual trauma, economic impacts and uncertainties surrounding immigration status.
Fatima, 19, a Somali refugee who was granted asylum, returned to in-person high-school classes in April after months of online learning.
While she says she's happy to be back, her fear remains.
"I ask myself every day... I say, 'if they come back, what are you going to do?' I'm scared still if they come back," she said.
"When you have an invasion like this, people continue to experience the ramifications of that for a long time," said Michelle Eberhard, director of refugee services at International Institute of Minnesota. "People are still living through that trauma."
Image source, Reuters
During the height of the operation, masked agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) patrolled streets, raided homes and schools and detained thousands.
Katie, a Minneapolis teacher, led school efforts to deliver groceries and collect donations for impacted students - most chose to stay home, rather than risk an ICE raid at their school. She told the BBC her school wrapped up its aid programme in April, but continued dispersing remaining funds.
Even as a US citizen, she still feels the effects, especially when driving by the memorials set up to remember Pretti and Good. "The city is just this minefield of ghosts," she said. "Even when you forget about it, it just pops up again."
Although school is back to normal, Katie added, some students had to drop out and support their families after relatives lost jobs during the operation.
Image source, Getty Images
A memorial to Alex Pretti set up at the location where federal agents shot and killed him
The Trump administration has said Metro Surge was a success and was necessary to get "vicious criminals, including murderers, rapists, gang members, and terrorists" out of the country.
By mid-February, a thousand federal agents had left the state and hundreds more followed, with only a "small force" remaining "for a short period".
While ICE's presence in the city has diminished, agents are still around. In a March lawsuit, the federal government said there were still 482 agents in Minnesota, according to the plaintiff, ACLU-MN. Additionally, about 190 federal agents worked in ICE's St Paul office before Metro Surge, the ACLU said.
Border Czar Tom Homan said that, "moving forward, ICE will be conducting targeted immigration enforcement operations" like it has done "for decades". ICE told the BBC that it does not disclose information about its operations.
The presence of federal agents is still seen and felt, particularly in more rural areas, said Morgan Budiandri, of MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).
"The deportation machine has kind of turned more surgical, so to speak. There's less activity in the cities where there's a lot more prying eyes," Budiandri said. "But out in the suburbs, we still have reports of officers coming to businesses demanding to see a manifesto of undocumented employees."
Image source, Getty Images
A rally and demonstration in February demanding justice for the Minneapolis community and its immigrants
ICE deportation flights also continue, according to ICE Flight Monitor at Human Rights First, an international human rights nonprofit which tracked around a hundred out of Minneapolis this year. The number of flights - predominantly to El Paso, Texas - is reducing monthly.
DHS said it arrested thousands of "criminal illegal aliens" in Minnesota, and in a statement to the BBC, listed arrests of 23 immigrants it said were convicted or charged with crimes, including murder, rape, domestic violence, and theft.
Data shows more than 60% of those arrested in Minnesota did not have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, according to government data obtained by the Deportation Data Project, external.
Some Minnesota Republicans supported the crackdown, like state Representative Joe McDonald, who also acknowledged earlier this year that "mistakes were made. We're not perfect". Backlash after the deaths of Good and Pretti led to Trump removing Greg Bovino, the head of the action in Minneapolis, in January.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Law enforcement officers stand guard as protestors demonstrate against ICE operations in Minneapolis in March
But enforcement did not stop. In January, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced that it would re-vet 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who had not yet received green cards. It deemed the previous administration's vetting "wholly inadequate", and has sought to expand the initiative on a national scale.
Eberhard said that some refugees were transferred to ICE detention out of state, and re-interviewed on their refugee claims without legal representation.
While the situation in Minnesota has "shifted out of chaos", she said, the city is now in a "very big period of ongoing uncertainty", with some getting letters post-review saying the government intends to revoke their refugee status, and others receiving radio silence.
"I'm confident there are many people who still aren't leaving their homes," Eberhard said.
Minneapolis' economy struggled after Metro Surge, too. Businesses along one street in Phillips, a predominantly Hispanic neighbourhood in south Minneapolis, were hit particularly hard.
The mile-long Lake Street corridor has hundreds of immigrant-owned small businesses. During the height of Metro Surge, at least half closed, according to the Lake Street Council. That caused a monthly revenue drop of over $30m (£22.7m) for Lake Street businesses, the council estimates.
"The economic devastation to Lake Street businesses because of Operation Metro Surge was immediate and severe," said Theresa Swaney, council director of operations.
"The terror inflicted on this community was significant, and its effects on Minneapolis and Lake Street in particular will be long-lasting."
Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images
The storefront of a business on Lake Street in south Minneapolis, a neighbourhood heavily impacted by Metro Surge
Many lost income and struggled to pay rent as they stayed home from work out of fear of arrest; the US Immigration Policy Center estimated in March that workers across Minneapolis and St Paul lost about $240m in wages.
Businesses across the Twin Cities likely lost a combined $610m in revenue because of Metro Surge, the USIPC estimated.
Statewide eviction filings in 2026 were up 8% compared to last year, according to the Eviction Lab, a Princeton University-based research centre.
When asked for comment on how Metro Surge affected the local economy, DHS responded: "The cost of American lives saved is incalculable", pointing to arrests of convicted immigrants.
Immigration advocates, however, warn that the impact of the crackdown will be felt for a long time.
"Transformation can come from pain," says Katie the teacher, "but what these children have witnessed, it will affect our city. It'll affect what they vote for, what they believe in, what they think of our government."
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Operation Metro Surge began in December 2023 as part of President Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants The operation was linked to a federal fraud investigation involving Minnesota's childcare industry Federal agents shot and killed US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, in separate incidents in January 2024 during protests against the operation By late February 2024, the administration pulled hundreds of agents out of Minneapolis Approximately 482 federal ICE agents remained in Minnesota as of March 2024 according to an ACLU lawsuit Over 60% of those arrested in Minnesota did not have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges according to government data obtained by the Deportation Data Project The Trump administration stated Operation Metro Surge was necessary to remove 'vicious criminals, including murderers, rapists, gang members, and terrorists' DHS reported arresting 23 immigrants convicted or charged with crimes including murder, rape, domestic violence, and theft At least half of businesses along Lake Street closed during the height of Metro Surge, causing an estimated $30m monthly revenue loss Twin Cities businesses likely lost a combined $610m in revenue because of Metro Surge according to the US Immigration Policy Center Workers across Minneapolis and St Paul lost approximately $240m in wages according to the US Immigration Policy Center Statewide eviction filings in 2026 were up 8% compared to the previous year USCIS announced it would re-vet 5,600 refugees in Minnesota, deeming the previous administration's vetting 'wholly inadequate' Some refugees were transferred to ICE detention out of state and re-interviewed on refugee claims without legal representation Immigrants and refugees in Minnesota report continued fear of enforcement operations despite the operation's official conclusion Refugee services director Michelle Eberhard said people are 'still living through that trauma' months after the operation ended
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement action in Minnesota that began in December 2023, officially ended by late February 2024, but residents report ongoing fear and economic hardship
- Two US citizens were killed by federal agents during protests against the operation in January 2024; the administration later removed the operation's Minneapolis head
- Data shows over 60% of those arrested did not have criminal convictions or charges, though DHS reported thousands of arrests and cited specific criminal cases
- Minnesota's immigrant community and businesses report lasting trauma, economic losses exceeding $600m in estimated revenue, and uncertainty about immigration status reviews
- Federal agents remain present in Minnesota with ongoing enforcement operations and deportation flights continuing at reduced levels