DHS says 400 arrests in Twin Cities 'Operation Metro Surge,' blasts Walz and Frey
The Department of Homeland Security says its "Operation Metro Surge" in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area resulted in about 400 arrests of noncitizens — including Somali, Mexican and other nationals — whom officials described as criminally convicted or subject to removal orders. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin sharply criticized Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey for local sanctuary measures and for “failing to protect” residents, while state leaders and Rep. Ilhan Omar accused ICE of overreach and racial profiling and Walz asked DHS to reassess tactics after alleging some U.S. citizens were detained (a claim DHS says reflects arrests for assault or obstruction).
📌 Key Facts
- DHS/ICE launched 'Operation Metro Surge' in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area beginning Dec. 1 as an enhanced enforcement operation targeting noncitizens with deportation orders and a so‑called 'worst of the worst' list; DHS later said the operation resulted in about 400 arrests across the Twin Cities.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly attacked Minnesota leaders, saying Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey 'failed to protect' residents and blaming sanctuary policies, while also accusing Walz of spreading misinformation in response to his criticisms of the raids.
- DHS/ICE said many arrestees have prior convictions and long‑standing removal orders — citing offenses such as criminal sexual conduct, rape, robbery, drug trafficking and alien smuggling — and released names of multiple individuals (examples cited across reports include Ban Du La Sein, Vannaleut Keomany, Liban Ali Osman, Por Moua, Abdul Dahir Ibrahim, Abdulkadir Sharif Abdi, Sahal Osman Shidane and Mukthar Mohamed Ali).
- Minnesota officials and local advocates disputed aspects of the raids: Gov. Walz said some U.S. citizens were detained (he named a woman and a man in his letter to DHS) and asked DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to reassess tactics, review warrants, clarify rules about citizens filming operations, and ensure civil‑rights training for agents; DHS replied that some citizen encounters involved assaults or obstruction of federal officers and identified one woman as Susan Tincher, whom it said was arrested for assaulting an agent.
- Minneapolis moved to limit federal staging of civil immigration operations — Mayor Frey signed an executive order banning use of city‑owned parking lots/ramps/garages and distributed notice templates to businesses and residences to deter enforcement actions — as the city prepared for an influx of ICE agents.
- Reporting highlighted a strong Somali focus in the operations and political rhetoric: some accounts described the effort as targeting 'mostly Somali' immigrants; context from local reporting notes Minnesota’s Somali community is large (roughly 76,000 people), with a majority U.S.‑born or naturalized, a relatively small noncitizen population (~4,000) and only a few hundred Somali TPS holders in the state; the administration also said it was moving to end Somalia TPS though DHS had not formally announced termination.
- Several high‑profile, specific incidents drew attention: DHS said agents arrested an Augsburg University student identified as a registered sex offender and alleged campus staff impeded the arrest (the university disputed DHS’s account and said agents lacked a warrant); the DOJ also filed federal charges in at least one alleged sexual assault case linked to people targeted in the broader enforcement context.
- Rep. Ilhan Omar and Gov. Walz said ICE agents pulled over Omar’s U.S.‑born son during the sweep and described the stop as racial profiling (Omar said agents were 'looking for young men who look Somali'); DHS and other officials have pushed back on claims of indiscriminate citizen arrests while defending the operations as aimed at criminal noncitizens.
📊 Relevant Data
Somali immigration to Minnesota began in the early 1990s as refugees fleeing the civil war after the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, with resettlement facilitated by U.S. refugee programs and local agencies such as Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities.
How Minnesota became the center of the Somali diaspora — Sahan Journal
Immigration has been the leading driver of Minnesota's population growth from 2020-2024, accounting for 94% of net gains, with communities of color growing by 32% since 2010 compared to 1% for the White non-Hispanic population.
The economic contributions of New Americans in Minnesota — Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Minnesota is among the top four states where the Black population has grown the fastest since 2010, partly due to immigration.
Report: Minnesota among states where Black population grew fastest since 2010 — MPR News
Studies show that immigrants, including undocumented ones, are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans.
Immigrants less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born — NPR
📊 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 (13)
Ilhan Omar claims ICE pulled over her son during ‘racial profiling’ sweep amid Trump’s crackdown in Minnesota
New information:
- Rep. Ilhan Omar says her U.S.-born son was pulled over by ICE agents outside a Target in Minnesota on Dec. 13 and released after presenting his passport.
- Omar alleges ICE is 'looking for young men who look Somali' and says her son routinely carries his passport to avoid being misidentified.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted that Omar’s son was pulled over despite following the law, calling it 'racial profiling' and urging DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to reassess enforcement strategy.
DHS sweeps Twin Cities, arrests 400 as feds blast Walz for ‘failing to protect Minnesota’
New information:
- DHS reports 400 arrests in Minneapolis–St. Paul as part of 'Operation Metro Surge.'
- Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin directly criticizes Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, saying they 'failed to protect' Minnesotans.
- DHS lists examples of arrestees with prior convictions and long-standing removal orders, including Ban Du La Sein (criminal sexual conduct), Vannaleut Keomany (two rape convictions), Liban Ali Osman (robbery), Somvang Phrachansiry (third-degree criminal sexual conduct and assault), and Por Moua (multiple serious offenses).
- DHS rebuts Walz’s claim that U.S. citizens were swept up, stating a highlighted woman 'Sue' was arrested for assaulting a federal officer.
- Operation label 'Metro Surge' and use of a 'worst of the worst' list are specified for the Twin Cities sweep.
DHS unleashes scathing response after Walz asks agency to ‘reassess’ enforcement
New information:
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly rebuked Gov. Tim Walz’s request to 'reassess' immigration enforcement, accusing him of spreading misinformation.
- McLaughlin said U.S. citizens have been arrested when they assaulted or obstructed federal officers, citing a roughly 1,050% increase in assaults on DHS officers and an 8,000% increase in death threats.
- DHS identified 'Sue' as Susan Tincher and said she was arrested for assaulting a federal agent and breaching a safety perimeter during a targeted arrest.
- The targeted noncitizen was named as Quiquintuna Capuz, an Ecuadoran national with a prior felony assault on a police officer, according to DHS.
- McLaughlin reiterated Secretary Kristi Noem’s stance that assaulting law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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."