Multiple Twin Cities districts add online learning options amid ICE surge
Several Twin Cities districts — including Minneapolis, St. Paul, District 196 (Apple Valley–Eagan–Rosemount), Fridley, Richfield and Robbinsdale — have opened opt‑in remote learning or e‑learning windows in response to a surge in federal immigration enforcement tied to DHS’s “Operation Metro Surge” (Minneapolis’ e‑learning began Jan. 8 and runs through Feb. 12; Fridley’s window is Jan. 20–Feb. 13, with St. Paul and District 196 also launching opt‑in tracks this week). Districts cite community fear after the Renee Good shooting and same‑day ICE incidents near schools, reporting widespread absences and students missing meals, while DHS says the operation has resulted in more than 3,000 arrests and denies “raiding” schools.
📌 Key Facts
- Multiple Twin Cities districts — Minneapolis, St. Paul, District 196 (Apple Valley–Eagan–Rosemount), Fridley, Richfield and Robbinsdale — have added opt‑in online/remote learning options explicitly tied to a surge in ICE enforcement (Operation Metro Surge) and resulting community fear.
- Minneapolis’ online options began Jan. 8 and are set to run at least through Feb. 12, 2026; Fridley’s online window is Jan. 20–Feb. 13; St. Paul and District 196 opened opt‑in remote tracks the week of Jan. 18.
- Districts and Minneapolis Public Schools are framing the remote option primarily as a safety and stability measure in response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations (not solely the aftermath of the Renee Good shooting) and have issued additional details on eligibility, participating grades/school levels, and how families can opt in.
- Minneapolis canceled in‑person classes Jan. 8–9 after the Renee Good shooting and a same‑day ICE incident at Roosevelt High; Fridley also fully canceled classes on Jan. 8 citing “fear and disruption.”
- At Jenny Lind Elementary in north Minneapolis many students are now absent, children who rely on free school breakfast and lunch are missing meals, and parent Destiny Prosper has launched a GoFundMe and is collecting donations to buy and deliver food and basic necessities to families who are afraid to leave home amid ICE activity.
- The Department of Homeland Security has publicly said Operation Metro Surge has produced more than 3,000 arrests, which federal officials cite to justify the presence; Education Minnesota leaders have demanded ICE stay away from schools while DHS/ICE respond by rejecting the characterization that they “raid” schools.
- District statements include updated comments on safety and attendance patterns and say the remote options are expected to be reviewed and limited to the duration of the enforcement period rather than being open‑ended.
📊 Relevant Data
The Somali population in Minnesota grew from approximately 91,000 in 2020 to around 108,000 in 2024 according to the American Community Survey, representing about 1.9% of the state's total population of 5.7 million.
Most Somali people in America and Minnesota are citizens — Minnesota Reformer
37.5% of adult Somali immigrants in Minnesota live below the poverty line, compared to 6.9% of adult natives.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota — Center for Immigration Studies
Somali-born immigrants have slightly lower incarceration rates than native-born Americans, according to Cato Institute data.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
Fraud in Minnesota's social services, particularly in the Somali diaspora, involved billing for millions in services not provided, with over $500 million potentially stolen, exacerbated by relaxed oversight during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch — The New York Times
Childcare centers in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods in Minnesota have seen a 50% reduction in attendance due to ICE activity.
Whistles and walkie-talkies: Minneapolis keeps guard over schools amid ICE arrests — Reuters
Attendance has dropped sharply in Minnesota schools impacted by ICE enforcement as families fear sending children to school.
Opinion | ICE is sowing chaos in Minnesota schools — Star Tribune
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that, beyond Minneapolis, St. Paul Public Schools, District 196 (Apple Valley–Eagan–Rosemount), Fridley, Richfield and Robbinsdale have all moved to offer online options tied explicitly to ICE surge concerns.
- Clarifies timing and scope: Minneapolis’ online options began Jan. 8 and run at least through Feb. 12; Fridley’s online window is Jan. 20–Feb. 13; St. Paul and District 196 are also opening opt‑in remote tracks starting this week.
- Adds DHS’s public claim that Operation Metro Surge has produced more than 3,000 arrests, which is the administration’s justification for the federal presence districts say is terrifying families.
- Notes that Minneapolis canceled in‑person classes Jan. 8–9 after the Renee Good shooting and a same‑day ICE incident at Roosevelt High, and that Fridley also fully canceled on Jan. 8 citing “fear and disruption.”
- Reiterates and updates Education Minnesota leaders’ public demand that ICE stay away from schools, contrasting that with DHS’s boilerplate denial that it “raids” schools.
- At Jenny Lind Elementary in north Minneapolis, parent Destiny Prosper reports many students are now absent, and her 6‑year‑old daughter is asking where classmates have gone.
- Prosper has launched a GoFundMe and is collecting gift cards and other donations to buy and deliver food and basic necessities specifically for Jenny Lind families afraid to leave home amid ICE raids.
- She notes many Jenny Lind families are low‑income or immigrants whose kids rely on free school breakfast and lunch, and says fear of ICE is now keeping children from both school and meals.
- Confirms that the district’s e-learning option is explicitly set to run through Feb. 12, 2026, rather than being an open‑ended 'month-long' concept.
- Clarifies that the remote option is being framed by MPS primarily as a safety and stability measure in response to ongoing ICE operations and community fear, not just the immediate aftermath of the Renee Good shooting.
- Provides additional practical details about eligibility/participating school levels (such as which grades or school types are included) and how families opt in, beyond the earlier high‑level description.
- Clarifies that the remote-learning option is framed explicitly as a response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, not just the immediate aftermath of the Renee Good shooting.
- Provides additional detail on how families can opt into remote learning and which grades or schools are covered, beyond the initial strike-avoidance framing.
- Adds updated district statements/quotes about safety, student attendance patterns, and the expected duration and review of the remote option during the enforcement period.