Minnesota – The immigration crackdown in the state, which led to mass arrests, protests and two deaths, is nearing its end, said border czar Tom Homan.
The operation, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as “the largest immigration enforcement operation in history,” has been a focal point in the debate over mass deportation efforts by President Donald Trump, which intensified after Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.
The operation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) focused on the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area resulted in more than 4,000 arrests, Homan indicated, calling it a success. “The operation is making Minnesota safer,” the border czar noted. “I’ll say it again, it is less of a sanctuary state for criminals.”
The operation in Minnesota has been more volatile than previous offensives in Chicago and Los Angeles. The withdrawal of agents comes at a time when outrage over anti-immigrant raids is growing.
An AP poll revealed that 62% of Americans believe the government has gone too far in sending federal immigration agents to U.S. cities and 54% and 52% think the same about restrictions on legal migration and about deporting migrants who live illegally on U.S. soil. State and local officials, who have frequently clashed with federal authorities since the operation began in December, insisted that the offensive inflicted long-term damage on the state’s economy and on its immigrant community.
Democratic Governor Tim Walz urged residents to remain vigilant as immigration agents prepare to depart. He described the offensive as an “unnecessary, unjustified attack and in many cases unconstitutional against our state.”
“It will be a long road,” Walz said during a press conference. “Minnesota residents are decent, caring, and loving neighbors and they are also some of the toughest people you’ll meet. And we are in this for as long as it takes.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the ICE operation as “catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now it is time for a great comeback.”
But Trump’s border czar promised that the immigration raids are not over yet.
“President Trump promised a mass deportation and that is what this country will have,” Homan said.
Lisa Erbes, a leader of the progressive protest group Indivisible Twin Cities, said officials must be held accountable for the chaos of the offensive.
“People have died. Families have been separated,” Erbes said. “We cannot simply say this is over and forget the pain and suffering that has been imposed on the people of Minnesota.”
Meanwhile, ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons reported that his agency monitors about 1.6 million undocumented immigrants with final deportation orders, and that 800,000 are people with criminal records.
