President Trump’s Operation Metro Surge Begins in Minneapolis and St. Paul

Operation Metro Surge rolled into Minneapolis and St. Paul during the first week of December 2025. ICE brought in about one hundred officers from across the country to target Somali immigrants with final deportation orders. The plan came only days after President Trump made harsh comments about Somali communities on live television.

On December 4, federal officials reported detaining twelve people in the Twin Cities. DHS called them the worst criminal illegal aliens and listed serious charges such as sexual offenses, domestic violence, gang ties, and fraud. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blamed local sanctuary policies for letting these individuals move freely, which only fueled the growing tension between city leaders and federal agencies.

The scope of the operation widened fears because it did not stop with people who had final removal orders. A federal official told The New York Times that even individuals still waiting on legal status checks could be caught in the net. For many Somali families, this meant even routine errands felt risky. The week the operation launched, community centers reported a surge in calls from people afraid to leave home.

Trump’s Remarks Add Fuel to the Fire

Trump / IG / All of this followed a week of sharp comments from President Trump. During a televised cabinet meeting on December 2, he referred to Somali immigrants as garbage and said he did not want them in the country.

The president tied his remarks to a pandemic fraud case in Minnesota and called the state a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. He also repeated his push to end Temporary Protected Status for Somalis living in the United States.

Trump again targeted Representative Ilhan Omar and called her and her supporters garbage. His tone was blunt and personal, echoing a pattern of statements he had made about Somali communities in past years. Critics said these comments were not only disrespectful but also dangerous, as they framed an entire group of people as a problem to be removed.

The pairing of those comments with an aggressive enforcement operation sent a chilling message to many families in the Twin Cities. Leaders in Minneapolis and St. Paul said it created the impression that the federal government was using immigration enforcement to punish a community the President had publicly attacked.

The Community on Edge

Local reporters described malls and markets that were usually lively as unusually quiet. People carried green cards, passports, or naturalization papers in their pockets even when simply stepping out to buy groceries.

One case made that fear stronger. Minneapolis leaders reported that ICE agents detained a 20-year-old U.S. citizen named Mubashir during his lunch break. He said agents tackled him, put him in a headlock, and held him for hours until he showed his passport.

The News / Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter held a joint news conference where they voiced support for Somali residents and made clear they would not help federal officers carry out arrests.

City officials called the detention a serious breach of civil rights. For many Somali Americans, it confirmed what they worried about most. If a citizen could be swept up that easily, they wondered how anyone could feel safe.

Local leaders reminded residents that most of the 80,000 Somali Minnesotans are U.S. citizens or legal residents. Mayor Jacob Frey said the Constitution does not allow federal agents to arrest people because they look Somali. Still, reassurance only went so far. Community groups reported that people were skipping work, pulling their kids from activities, and staying indoors until they understood what the operation would target next.

Pushback From Minnesota Leaders

Frey even signed an executive order that blocked federal agents from using city property as staging areas. Both mayors said their cities needed trust with immigrant communities, not fear.

Governor Tim Walz also spoke out and called the operation a PR stunt. His criticism held weight because he had clashed with federal officials before over immigration policies. What surprised many was that the pushback did not come only from Democrats.

Republican State Senator Jim Abeler issued a public letter to President Trump saying his garbage comments were wrong and unfair.