Operation Metro Surge: DHS data show only ~5% of 2,000 Minnesota ICE arrestees are violent offenders
DHS data show that of more than 2,000 arrests tied to Operation Metro Surge, 212 people are on DHS’s “worst of the worst” list and 103 of those are classified as violent — roughly 5% of all arrestees. The surge, which officials say includes about 1,500 ICE officers and 600 HSI agents and brought Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the Twin Cities, has sparked large protests, security barriers and school disruptions, expanded community “constitutional observer” trainings, and figures in a proposed impeachment effort against Noem.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS is conducting "Operation Metro Surge" in the Twin Cities with more than 2,000 federal agents on the ground — roughly 1,500 ICE officers and 600 Homeland Security Investigations agents — and additional Border Patrol personnel have also been reported; officials say the 30‑day surge targets people with deportation orders and alleged fraud in the Somali community.
- DHS’s internal "worst of the worst" list for the Minnesota operation lists 212 people (about 10% of the more than 2,000 arrestees); of those 212, 103 are classified as violent (48.5% of that list), meaning violent offenders make up roughly 5.2% of all recent Minnesota ICE arrestees.
- A category breakdown of the 212 'worst of the worst' includes violent/gang (75), sex crimes (28), drugs (57), fraud/theft/illegal reentry/trafficking (45) and DWIs (7); DHS would not say how many of the 212 have been deported.
- The surge was tied by federal officials and some reporting to a viral YouTube video alleging problems at Somali‑run child‑care centers and to a federal audit that found about 11% of Minnesota child‑care assistance payments had flaws; state compliance checks at most highlighted facilities generally found children present and one site had been closed in 2022.
- Noem’s Twin Cities appearances and the ICE surge prompted large on‑site protests at Fort Snelling and other locations, an organized "No Trump No Troops" rally at the Minnesota State Capitol, emergency demonstrations outside federal sites and hotels, and the installation of concrete barriers and fencing at the Whipple Federal Building (ICE’s regional HQ and immigration court).
- The surge has produced broad community impacts: a St. Paul business temporarily closed citing ICE presence, Minneapolis schools reopened with a new remote option and postponed activities, and immigrant‑support groups launched "constitutional observer" trainings (a planned ~30‑city tour) to teach legal monitoring and documentation of enforcement actions.
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has publicly described additional deployments (calling them 'hundreds more'), personally participated in at least one public arrest in St. Paul reported by media, and local leaders including Minneapolis and St. Paul mayors publicly reaffirmed city separation policies or issued statements in response.
- The federal operation and Fort Snelling build‑up are cited in draft impeachment articles against Secretary Noem by Minnesota lawmakers, who allege abuses such as use of masked agents, lethal force and limits on congressional oversight at facilities like the Whipple building.
📊 Relevant Data
The Somali population in Minnesota was estimated at approximately 79,000 between 2019 and 2023, representing about 1.4% of the state's total population of around 5.7 million.
Somali population - Cultural communities — Minnesota Compass
Somali immigrants in Minnesota have a poverty rate of 43%, compared to 9% for the state overall and 18% for all immigrants in the state, based on 2018-2022 data.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota — Center for Immigration Studies
Minnesota's foreign-born population includes 141,090 individuals born in Africa, with Somalis comprising a significant portion, while Latin America-born residents number around 158,000, based on recent migration data.
Minnesota - State Demographics Data — Migration Policy Institute
Somali immigrants in Minnesota are overrepresented in public program fraud cases relative to their population size, with multiple indictments in schemes involving over $6 million in reimbursements since 2022.
Six Additional Defendants Charged, One Defendant Pleads Guilty in Ongoing Fraud Schemes Targeting State-Funded Autism Services Program — U.S. Department of Justice
The concentration of Somali immigrants in Minnesota resulted from federal refugee resettlement programs starting in the 1990s, facilitated by voluntary agencies following the Somali civil war.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota was initiated in December 2025 to target undocumented immigrants, with a focus on those involved in crimes and fraud, deploying thousands of DHS agents.
State of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul sue to halt ICE operation — City of Minneapolis
📰 Source Timeline (12)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 14, 2026
10:23 PM
Who are the ‘Worst of the Worst’ being arrested by ICE in Minnesota?
New information:
- DHS’s own 'worst of the worst' list for Minnesota currently includes 212 people out of more than 2,000 Operation Metro Surge arrests (~10%).
- Of those 212, 103 are classified as violent (including domestic violence and gang affiliation), meaning 48.5% of the 'worst of the worst' and only about 5.2% of all recent Minnesota ICE arrestees are violent offenders.
- Breakdown of 'worst of the worst' convictions: 75 violent/gang, 28 sex crimes, 57 drugs, 45 fraud/theft/illegal reentry/trafficking, 7 DWIs.
- Country‑of‑origin breakdown for the 212: 91 from Mexico, 22 Honduras, 20 Somalia, 10 El Salvador, 9 Ecuador, 9 Guatemala, 7 Laos, 5 Liberia, 5 Dominican Republic, 4 Burma, 4 Colombia, 3 Venezuela, 3 Ghana, plus smaller numbers from Iran, Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Nigeria, Thailand, Sudan, Vietnam, South Korea, Uganda, China, Gambia, Philippines, Kenya, Cuba and Costa Rica.
- FOX 9 notes these proportions match Cato Institute findings that about 5% of ICE detainees nationwide have violent convictions and about 73% have no convictions at all.
- DHS refuses to say how many of the 212 'worst of the worst' have actually been deported.
January 13, 2026
10:22 PM
Effort to impeach Kristi Noem backed by Minnesota lawmakers
New information:
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem now says more than 2,000 agents — including 1,500 ICE officers and 600 Homeland Security Investigations agents — are operating in Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, up from earlier estimates reported in prior coverage.
- The federal surge into Minnesota is now a principal factual basis cited in the draft impeachment articles against Noem, tying the Fort Snelling build‑up and agent deployments directly to a national legal and political fight.
- Minnesota’s role is being held up by impeachment sponsors as a case study of alleged abuses by Noem’s DHS (use of masked agents, lethal force, and limits on congressional oversight at facilities such as Whipple).
January 12, 2026
4:38 PM
ICE in Minnesota: Security barriers installed as more federal agents arrive
New information:
- Crews began installing additional concrete barriers and fencing Monday morning at the Whipple Federal Building, ICE’s regional HQ and immigration court, explicitly in response to protests and the Renee Good shooting.
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox Business the new wave of agents began arriving Sunday and Monday and repeated that 'hundreds more' are being sent so ICE and Border Patrol can operate 'safely.'
- A St. Paul business, La Michoacana Monarca, announced it is closing for at least a week due to visible ICE presence in the area and customer fear.
- Minneapolis Public Schools has reopened buildings but is now formally offering a remote option through mid‑February, while districts are postponing some activities, boosting adult presence at dismissal and students are organizing walkouts at Roosevelt and other schools.
- Education Minnesota president Monica Byron publicly described how ICE operations are cancelling or postponing school events and changing daily routines.
January 11, 2026
6:48 PM
Sec. Noem says DHS send 'hundreds more' ICE agents to Minnesota
New information:
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told FOX News 'hundreds more' federal officers are being sent to Minnesota, arriving Sunday and Monday.
- Noem says the added agents are to ensure ICE and Border Patrol can operate 'safely' in Minneapolis and that people who 'conduct violent activities' or 'impede operations' will be prosecuted.
- The piece notes FOX reporting that up to 1,000 Border Patrol agents are also being deployed on the ground in Minneapolis, and suggests Noem’s 'hundreds' may refer to some or all of that contingent.
January 07, 2026
4:32 AM
Surge in federal agents prompts ramp up in constitutional observer trainings
New information:
- Immigrant Defense Network has launched a series of 'constitutional observer' trainings in response to the ICE surge, beginning with a session in St. Paul that drew about 100 attendees.
- The trainings teach community members how to legally observe and document immigration enforcement actions, emphasizing maintaining distance, not interfering, and using written notes or phone video.
- Organizers plan similar trainings in 30 cities statewide under a 'Brave Of Us' tour, with goals including ensuring detainees are identified, informed of their rights, and connected with legal and family support.
January 06, 2026
6:11 PM
LIVE UPDATES: ICE surge in MN: Reports of ICE activity, protests, Sec. Kristi Noem in St. Paul
New information:
- Reports that Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez publicly warned residents on social media of active ICE officers on Lake Street and in Powderhorn, including claims of officers using vehicles with Uber stickers while checking Latino residents’ status.
- Says the Trump administration’s new operation involves 'upwards of 2,100' ICE agents and DHS investigators in the Twin Cities, sharpening earlier references to 'dozens' of new agents.
- Describes a specific Tuesday arrest in St. Paul near Payne Market by Payne Ave and Jenks Ave East, where DHS Secretary Kristi Noem personally assisted in detaining an Ecuadorian national whom DHS alleges is wanted in Ecuador for murder and sexual assault and has prior robbery/extortion convictions there.
- Notes an "emergency protest" outside the Whipple Building at Fort Snelling during Noem’s visit, as well as a late‑night anti‑ICE protest outside the Canopy Hilton hotel in downtown Minneapolis tied to the surge.
3:28 AM
Federal agent surge expected in MN for crackdown on immigration, fraud
New information:
- Reports the White House is sending about 1,500 additional ICE agents to the Twin Cities for a 30‑day surge focused on people with deportation orders, plus 600 Homeland Security Investigations agents targeting fraud in the Somali community.
- Identifies the operation’s backstory as a response to a viral Nick Shirley YouTube video alleging Somali‑run child‑care centers were receiving subsidies with no children present.
- Adds that U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, experienced in prior immigration roundups, is expected to arrive in Minnesota to help lead the surge.
- Connects the surge to a recent federal audit that found deficiencies in Minnesota’s child‑care assistance program and estimated 11% of payments had flaws, potentially affecting $231.4 million in claims across more than 1,150 providers.
- Notes that Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth and Families has already conducted compliance checks at nine of the 10 facilities highlighted in the viral video, generally finding children present and one site closed in 2022.
October 25, 2025
4:10 PM
'No Trump No Troops' protest coming to MN State Capitol
New information:
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Minnesota will see 'dozens' of new ICE agents/federal officers as part of a national expansion (referencing a congressional allocation of 10,000 ICE officers).
- Noem reiterated that any National Guard deployment is the President’s decision while urging state and city cooperation with DHS.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly reaffirmed the city’s Separation Ordinance ahead of Noem’s visit; St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter issued a statement regarding DHS’s presence.
- The protest at the Minnesota State Capitol is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday under the banner 'No Trump No Troops.'
1:54 AM
Making Twin Cities visit, Kristi Noem takes aim at Minnesota leaders
New information:
- Confirms Kristi Noem made public remarks during her Twin Cities visit and directly criticized Minnesota leaders by name/policy.
- Adds specific themes of her criticism and policy focus beyond the prior notice of a visit and protests.
- Provides on-the-ground details from her appearance (timing/venue context and comments) from a metro outlet.
October 24, 2025
11:13 PM
Hundreds protests DHS Secretary Noem during press conference at Fort Snelling
New information:
- The visit occurred at Fort Snelling, where DHS Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference.
- Hundreds of protesters gathered at Fort Snelling during the press conference.
- The protest coincided with the secretary’s remarks on immigration enforcement, escalating from previously planned demonstrations to an on‑site protest at the event location.
3:40 PM
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly visiting Twin Cities; counter march planned
New information:
- People’s Action Coalition Against Trump will hold a Friday noon press conference responding to the reported visit.
- A 'No Trump No Troops' rally and march is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.
- FOX 9 reports DHS has not yet provided confirmation details of Secretary Noem’s visit and has been contacted for more information.