Walz creates council to document Metro Surge harms as new ICE data shows most arrestees had no criminal record
Gov. Tim Walz has created a council to document the impacts on Minnesotans of ICE’s recent Operation Metro Surge, as newly obtained ICE internal data analyzed by the Deportation Data Project show about 3,800 people were arrested (peaking at over 100 per day in early January). Less than 25% of those arrested had any criminal convictions (including misdemeanors/traffic), 13% had pending charges, more than 60% had no criminal record of any kind (and 63% had no convictions or charges for immigration violations), with Ecuadorians the largest nationality arrested (more than 1,000), a pattern that includes the high‑profile Columbia Heights family case.
📌 Key Facts
- ICE internal data obtained via litigation and analyzed by the Deportation Data Project show about 3,800 people were arrested during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, with daily arrests peaking at more than 100 per day in early January.
- Less than 25% of those arrested had any criminal convictions (including misdemeanors and traffic violations), about 13% had pending charges, and more than 60% (63%) had no criminal record of any kind.
- ICE’s dataset indicates the 63% with no criminal history also had no convictions or charges for immigration violations, meaning they were not previously on record as lawbreakers under immigration codes.
- The single largest nationality arrested were Ecuadorians: ICE picked up more than 1,000 Ecuadorians in Minnesota during the surge; those arrests were drawn from roughly 12,000 pending immigration cases and about 1,900 asylum cases for Ecuadorians in the state.
- The high-profile Columbia Heights case of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family fits this pattern: they had no criminal history, were seized during the surge, later released, and now face deportation after an immigration judge denied their asylum claim; they plan to appeal.
📊 Relevant Data
Ecuadorians have been immigrating to Minnesota since 2020 primarily to flee gang violence, economic hardship, political instability, and racism in Ecuador.
Ecuadorians fleeing their homeland seek a new start in Minnesota — Sahan Journal
From 2020 to 2024, immigration accounted for 94% of Minnesota's net population growth, with African immigrants showing a 78.8% increase between 2013 and 2022.
New Americans Drive Minnesota's Population Growth and Labor Force — Minnesota Women's Press
Immigrants make up about 8.3% (1 in 12) of Minnesota's residents but nearly 11.1% (1 in 9) of the state's workers, contributing disproportionately to sectors like health care and child care.
FACT SHEET: ICE Enforcement is Disrupting Minnesota's Economy — North Star Policy Action
Operation Metro Surge resulted in an estimated $203.1 million in economic damage to Minneapolis, including lost wages and reduced business activity.
Measuring the economic damage of Minnesota's ICE surge is hard — Minnesota Reformer
On average, immigrants in the US pose lower criminal risks than native-born individuals, with periods of growing immigration coinciding with falling crime rates from 2020 to 2026.
A Closer Look at Immigrant Crime Statistics — ETC Journal
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- ICE’s own internal data, obtained via litigation and analyzed by the Deportation Data Project, show about 3,800 people were arrested during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, with arrests peaking at over 100 per day in early January.
- Less than 25% of those arrested had any criminal convictions at all (including misdemeanors and traffic violations), another 13% had pending charges, and more than 60% had no criminal record of any kind.
- The single largest nationality arrested was Ecuadorian: ICE picked up more than 1,000 Ecuadorians in Minnesota during the surge, drawn from roughly 12,000 pending immigration cases and 1,900 asylum cases for Ecuadorians in the state.
- ICE’s dataset indicates that the 63% with no criminal history also had no convictions or charges for immigration violations, meaning they were not previously on record as lawbreakers even under immigration codes.
- The high‑profile Columbia Heights case of 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family fits this broader pattern: they have no criminal history, were seized during the surge, released, and now face deportation after an immigration judge denied their asylum claim; they plan to appeal.