ICE 'Metro Surge' in Twin Cities draws Walz letter alleging citizen arrests; governor urges DHS to reassess tactics
ICE launched "Operation Metro Surge" in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area targeting individuals with deportation orders; DHS announced at least 19 arrests over multiple rounds, including several Somali nationals and other noncitizens charged with serious crimes. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem alleging that some U.S. citizens were detained during the sweeps and urging a reassessment of tactics, clearer standards on filming and warrants, and civil‑rights training, while local leaders including Mayor Jacob Frey moved to restrict use of city property for enforcement and organize legal pushback.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS/ICE launched "Operation Metro Surge" in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area beginning Dec. 1, describing it as an "enhanced operation" targeting individuals with final removal orders and alleged visa/immigration fraud, including a focus on Somali immigrants.
- DHS reported at least 19 arrests in Minneapolis as part of the operation (initially 12 arrests, then seven more), with arrestees from multiple countries including Somalia, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Guatemala; the initial tranche included five Somali nationals, six Mexican nationals and one Salvadoran.
- ICE and DOJ named multiple arrestees with prior convictions or charges for serious crimes — including sexual offenses against minors, robbery, assault, drug trafficking and alien smuggling — and DOJ filed federal charges in at least one case (Abdimahat Bille Mohamed accused of kidnapping and rape).
- DHS/ICE publicly released mugshots and statements about the arrests, and DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a hardline statement blaming local "sanctuary" policies and saying the agency would continue arrests and removals.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urging a reassessment of federal enforcement tactics after alleging that multiple U.S. citizens were detained during ICE operations (citing examples of a woman who was documenting agents and a man who said he identified himself as a citizen); the letter requests review of warrants, clarification of standards for citizens filming operations, and civil‑rights training for agents.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued an executive order barring use of city‑owned parking lots/ramps/garages/vacant lots to stage civil immigration enforcement and circulated a notice template for businesses and homes to deter enforcement in private spaces.
- Reporting provided local context about Minnesota's Somali community and federal policy changes: the community is largely U.S. citizens (roughly 76,000 people with a majority U.S.-born or naturalized and only a few thousand noncitizens, including several hundred TPS holders), and the administration has announced broader immigration steps such as a pause on case decisions for nationals of 19 countries, a re‑examination of green cards for those nationals, and statements about ending Somalia TPS (not yet formally rescinded by DHS).
- A related campus incident: DHS identified Augsburg University student Jesus Saucedo‑Portillo as a registered sex offender and said ICE arrested him in Minneapolis; DHS alleges campus administrators and security attempted to block the arrest, while the university president said ICE lacked a warrant and disputed the agency's account.
📊 Relevant Data
Approximately 107,000 people of Somali descent live in Minnesota as of 2023, representing about 2% of the state's population.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to Census data — KTTC
Federal prosecutors have convicted 59 people for stealing more than $1 billion from Minnesota's social services programs over the last five years, with members of the Somali diaspora largely responsible according to prosecutors.
How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch — The New York Times
More than 170 U.S. citizens have been held against their will by immigration agents in the first nine months of 2025, with more than 50 of those detained after their citizenship was questioned being almost all Latino.
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days. — ProPublica
In Minnesota fraud schemes, 78 defendants have been charged in the Feeding Our Future case involving $300 million, with connections to the Somali community through recruitment and national commentary.
Fraud in Minnesota: Detailing the nearly $1 billion in schemes — FOX 9
📊 Analysis & Commentary (2)
No land acknowledgments, no remigration
"A critical commentary arguing that the planned ICE operation targeting Minnesota Somalis is politically motivated, harmful to communities, and exposes the hypocrisy of progressive symbolism (like land acknowledgments) while urging pragmatic, humane policy over mass 'remigration' enforcement."
Busting Liberal Myths With the Somali Fraud Story
"A conservative City Journal commentary uses reporting on a planned ICE/Minnesota probe of Somali‑linked fraud and enforcement activity to challenge liberal narratives that dismiss enforcement concerns, arguing the case undermines assumptions about immigrant vetting and demands accountability."
📰 Sources (10)
Walz urges Noem to 'reassess' immigration enforcement strategy in Minnesota after alleged citizen arrests
New information:
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urging a reassessment of federal immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota.
- Walz alleges multiple U.S. citizens were arrested during ICE operations in Minneapolis, including a woman ('Sue') detained while documenting agents and a man ('Mubashir') tackled and handcuffed despite stating his citizenship.
- The letter asks DHS to review recent arrests for judicial warrants, clarify standards for citizens to film operations, and ensure ICE agents receive civil-rights training.
- Walz publicly criticized what he called 'forcefulness, lack of communication and unlawful practices' and said such conduct would not be tolerated in Minnesota.
Minnesota college administrator accused of impeding ICE arrest to protect student sexual predator
New information:
- DHS identified Augsburg University undergraduate Jesus Saucedo-Portillo as a registered sex offender with a prior DWI and said ICE agents arrested him in Minneapolis.
- DHS alleges an Augsburg administrator and campus security blocked an ICE vehicle and attempted to prevent the arrest despite agents stating they had a warrant; officers say they used minimal force to clear the area.
- Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow told MPR the arrest was 'illegal,' claimed ICE lacked a warrant, and said agents drew weapons near staff and students; he praised student participants and said no code of conduct violations occurred.
- DHS posted details and a mugshot on X (mugshot distributed Dec. 8, 2025), while Augsburg cited a campus 'protocol for when ICE is on campus.'
Minnesota fraud scheme unearths millions in luxury property, cars: DOJ
New information:
- Minneapolis officials are preparing for an influx of ICE agents after the agency announced plans for a new operation.
- Links ICE activity contextually to ongoing federal scrutiny of Minnesota’s pandemic-era fraud case.
Sanctuary cities 2.0: Mayors fight back against Trump's ICE raids
New information:
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey signed an executive order this week banning law enforcement from using any city‑owned parking lots, ramps, garages, or vacant lots to stage civil immigration enforcement operations.
- Frey’s staff is distributing a notice template for small businesses and homes to deter civil immigration enforcement in private spaces.
- The local moves come as Minneapolis braces for an ICE operation targeting Somali immigrants over visa fraud.
ICE operation in Minneapolis arrests seven 'worst of the worst' criminal illegal aliens
New information:
- DHS/ICE announced seven additional arrests in Minneapolis under Operation Metro Surge on Dec. 5, bringing the running total to at least 19.
- Named arrestees include: Andriu Javier Padron‑Chacare (Venezuela, alleged Tren de Aragua member, theft conviction, previously deported); Humberto Disla Sarita (Dominican Republic, conspiracy to import ≥50 kg cocaine conviction); Job Catani Cardenas (Ecuador, domestic assault conviction); Ernesto Vides‑Cabrera (Guatemala, DUI and assault convictions).
- Somali nationals Abdi Gelle Mohamed (sexual abuse of a minor), Sahal Osman Shidane (criminal sexual conduct, victim 13–15), and Mukhtar Mohamed Ali (robbery, domestic assault) also listed in the new tranche.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a hardline statement attributing sanctuary policies to state/local leaders and warning criminal noncitizens to depart.
Photos emerge of Somali illegal's ties to top Minnesota Dems after ICE arrest
New information:
- Identifies one arrestee as Abdul Dahir Ibrahim, a Somali national with a 2004 final removal order whose appeals were denied in 2006.
- Details past convictions: Canadian asylum and welfare fraud; a Jan. 23, 2002 Dakota County conviction for providing false information to police and driving without a valid license.
- Notes Ibrahim entered the U.S. in 1995 after deportation from Canada and has accrued 12 traffic/parking citations.
- States he was granted Temporary Protected Status for approximately 10 years and has a TPS application pending since 2023.
- Reports photographs of Ibrahim with Minnesota politicians Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar; and that Minneapolis CM Jamal Osman and State Sen. Omar Fateh wrote recommendation letters on his behalf.
ICE operation in Minneapolis nabs a dozen 'worst of the worst' criminal illegal aliens, including Somalis
New information:
- DHS says at least 12 criminal noncitizens were arrested in Minneapolis under 'Operation Metro Surge,' which began Dec. 1.
- Arrestees include 5 Somali nationals, 6 Mexican nationals, and 1 from El Salvador.
- Named arrestees and convictions include: Abdulkadir Sharif Abdi (Gangster Disciples/Vice Lords ties; fraud, stolen property/vehicles, probation violations); Sahal Osman Shidane (criminal sexual conduct with a minor, age 13–15); Mukthar Mohamed Ali (assault, fraud, robbery, larceny).
- Two Mexican nationals arrested include one convicted of felony alien smuggling and another for aggravated assault with a weapon.
- DOJ filed federal charges against Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, a convicted sex offender accused of kidnapping and raping a woman he met on Snapchat.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement criticizing local 'sanctuary' policies and vowing continued arrests and removals.
ICE begins surge in Minnesota as Trump pushes for crackdown on Somali immigrants
New information:
- A U.S. official told CBS News ICE began ‘enhanced operations’ this week in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area targeting individuals with deportation orders.
- President Trump, at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, used incendiary language about Somalis (“garbage,” “contribute nothing”) while backing a sweeping deportation campaign.
- CBS reiterates broader policy moves: a pause on immigration case decisions for nationals of 19 travel‑ban countries and an ordered re‑examination of green cards issued to those nationals.
- Trump said he is ending TPS for Somalia, though DHS has not formally announced termination; Somalia’s current TPS is set to expire in March 2026.
- Updated Minnesota Somali community context: about 76,000 people of Somali descent; 52% U.S.-born, 42% naturalized; roughly 4,000 are non‑citizens; approximately 430 Somali TPS holders in Minnesota (about 700 nationwide as of March).
Minneapolis immigration operation targeting mostly Somali immigrants begins, officials say
New information:
- Officials say the immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has begun.
- CBS frames the target as "mostly Somali immigrants" and notes local context that about 95% of ~80,000 Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens.
- Includes a cited Trump remark: "I don't want them in our country."