Educators demand ICE stay away from Minnesota schools
Education Minnesota has joined hundreds of students in demanding that ICE stay away from Minnesota schools, urging protections for classrooms and school communities. Students staged walkouts and rallied at the state Capitol, directly linking their actions to Operation Metro Surge and recent ICE incidents near Roosevelt High, Fridley and Columbia Heights, and calling on state officials to intervene.
đ Key Facts
- Hundreds of students walked out of Twin Cities schools and rallied at the Minnesota Capitol to protest ICE enforcement.
- Protesters explicitly tied the school walkouts to Operation Metro Surge and to recent ICE incidents at or near metro schools, including Roosevelt High, Fridley and Columbia Heights.
- Student organizers and speakers publicly demanded that ICE stay off school grounds and called on state officials to intervene.
- The actions were driven by students themselves â not just union leadership â escalating pressure on officials and agencies over enforcement in and around schools.
đ Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge, initiated in December 2025, is a large-scale ICE operation in Minnesota targeting criminal illegal aliens, including those involved in fraud, with over 2,400 arrests reported.
2,400 have been arrested by immigration officials in Twin Cities â KARE 11
Federal prosecutors estimate fraud in Minnesota-run programs, particularly involving Somali-run child care and Medicaid services, could exceed $9 billion, with dozens charged, many from the Somali community.
U.S. Attorney: Fraud likely exceeds $9 billion in Minnesota-run Medicaid services â Minnesota Reformer
Somali Minnesotans, representing about 1.4% of the state's population, generate at least $500 million in income annually and pay approximately $67 million in state and local taxes.
Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay $67M taxes annually â KSTP
About 54% of Somali-headed households in Minnesota receive food stamps, and 73% have at least one member on Medicaid, compared to lower rates statewide.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota â Center for Immigration Studies
Somali immigration to Minnesota began in the 1990s as refugees fleeing civil war, facilitated by U.S. refugee policies and voluntary agencies like Lutheran Social Services.
Somali and Somali American Experiences in Minnesota â MNopedia
The fraud scandals in Minnesota, estimated at over $9 billion, have been cited by the Trump administration as a justification for intensified ICE operations like Metro Surge in areas with concentrated Somali populations.
FBI deploys more resources to Minnesota amid Trump's targeting of fraud schemes â The Guardian
đ° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Hundreds of students themselves â not just teachers â walked out of Twin Cities schools and rallied at the Minnesota Capitol to protest ICE enforcement.
- The protest directly linked school walkouts to Operation Metro Surge and recent ICE incidents at and near metro schools (e.g., Roosevelt High, Fridley, Columbia Heights).
- Student speakers and organizers publicly demanded that ICE stay away from school grounds and called on state officials to intervene, escalating pressure beyond union leadership.