DHS says 400 arrests in Twin Cities 'Operation Metro Surge,' blasts Walz and Frey
The Department of Homeland Security says Operation Metro Surge has resulted in about 400 arrests across the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, targeting noncitizens with deportation orders and what officials called a “worst of the worst” list that includes people from Somalia, Mexico, El Salvador and other countries, and naming multiple arrestees with prior convictions. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly rebuked Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey—accusing them of failing to protect Minnesotans and rejecting Walz’s claims that U.S. citizens were improperly detained—while local leaders have moved to limit city cooperation as the operation unfolds amid broader federal immigration actions and heated rhetoric about Somali migrants.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS says Operation Metro Surge began Dec. 1 in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area and, as of Dec. 12, reports about 400 arrests in the Twin Cities related to the sweep.
- DHS and ICE say the operation targeted individuals with deportation orders and a “worst of the worst” list of criminal noncitizens; agency releases cite numerous arrestees with serious prior convictions (sexual assault/rape, robbery, assault, drug trafficking) and long‑standing removal orders.
- Reported arrestees span multiple nationalities and include Somali nationals among others (Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala); earlier ICE briefings described initial tranches of arrests (about a dozen, then at least 19) before the larger total was announced.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly rebuked Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey—saying they “failed to protect” Minnesotans and accusing Walz of spreading misinformation—and defended arrests of alleged citizens when agents say those people assaulted or obstructed officers, citing large increases in assaults and threats against DHS staff.
- Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem seeking reassessment of federal tactics in Minnesota, alleging some U.S. citizens were detained and requesting review of warrants, guidance on citizens filming operations, and civil‑rights training; Mayor Jacob Frey issued an executive order banning use of city‑owned parking facilities to stage civil immigration enforcement and distributed notice templates to help businesses and residents deter civil immigration enforcement on private property.
- Coverage emphasizes local Somali community context: reporting notes the operation is framed as targeting Somalis even though most Minnesotan residents of Somali descent are U.S. citizens (reporting gives community estimates, citizenship/nativity breakdowns and notes hundreds of Somali TPS holders in Minnesota), and highlights related federal policy moves and rhetoric about Somalis (including President Trump’s comments and plans affecting Somalia TPS and other immigration controls).
- Fox and other outlets named and detailed multiple individual cases cited by authorities (examples include Abdulkadir Sharif Abdi, Sahal Osman Shidane, Mukthar/Mukhtar Mohamed Ali and others) and reported a separate DOJ case charging Abdimahat Bille Mohamed with alleged kidnapping/rape; one arrestee (Abdul Dahir Ibrahim) was reported to have had prior TPS, a pending TPS application, and photographed ties to local politicians with recommendation letters from local officials.
- The operation produced local controversies beyond arrests: DHS says ICE arrested a registered sex offender at Augsburg University and alleges campus staff impeded the arrest and blocked an ICE vehicle; the university disputed ICE’s account, claiming agents lacked a warrant and that campus protocols were followed—DHS posted a mugshot and details on the incident.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2024, Black individuals accounted for 27.5% of all arrests in Minnesota, while comprising approximately 7% of the state's population.
2024 BCA Uniform Crime Report — Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Sanctuary policies reduce deportations of noncitizens without increasing crime rates.
Sanctuary policies reduce deportations without increasing crime — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The Somali community in Minnesota has a poverty rate of 58% and an unemployment rate of 40%, compared to the statewide unemployment rate of 3.6%.
CMAH Statement on Bill for Somali youth and workforce development — Minnesota Government
📊 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 (12)
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."