ICE launches 'largest operation ever' targeting Minneapolis Somali community

On Dec. 2, 2025, CNN reported ICE was planning an intensive immigration enforcement operation targeting hundreds of undocumented Somali immigrants in Minneapolis-St. Paul. An anonymous Trump administration official said roughly 100 officers would be deployed as part of strike teams comprising ICE officers and other federal officials.

On Dec. 2, 2025, President Trump called the Somali community in Minnesota "garbage" during public remarks. The comments came as ICE prepared to launch its largest-ever operation in the Twin Cities, directly targeting the Somali community.

Operation Metro Surge launched Dec. 4-5, 2025, with up to 2,000 federal agents deployed to the Twin Cities. DHS called it the "largest immigration operation ever" launched in the region. The operation involved agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations conducting a planned 30-day operation.

ICE made 12 arrests during the initial Dec. 4-5 launch. Acting ICE Director Tom Homan claimed the operation targeted the "worst of the worst"—pedophiles, rapists, and violent criminals. Local immigration attorneys disputed this characterization, saying many detainees had minor criminal records or no criminal history.

On Dec. 9, 2025, ICE officers deployed pepper spray on crowds in Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis's heavily Somali neighborhood. Activists confronted federal agents who were checking identifications as part of the enforcement operation. ICE made no arrests in Cedar-Riverside that day despite using force on protesters.

Video footage from Dec. 9 showed an ICE vehicle hitting a protester

Other footage showed federal agents kneeling on a woman's back in the snow before dragging her

Witnesses said she was pregnant and yelled that she couldn't breathe ICE provided no explanation for using force when no arrests were made.

On Dec. 15, 2025, another confrontation occurred near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue in south Minneapolis. Federal agents used pepper spray and a Taser on observers during the encounter. DFL State Representative Aisha Gomez, who witnessed the incident, confirmed federal agents used chemical agents against the crowd.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara publicly criticized ICE tactics after the Dec. clashes. He said city police were called for assistance but left to de-escalate situations. He stated "other law enforcement agencies" were using "questionable methods." This created visible tension between local and federal law enforcement.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed protesters "threw rocks, chunks of ice, assaulted officers and used pepper spray on ICE agents first," saying agents acted in self-defense. This contradicted witness accounts and video evidence showing federal agents initiating force.

On Dec. 19, 2025, the Sahan Journal reported community hubs in Cedar-Riverside were falling silent as residents feared federal enforcement. The report documented families avoiding public spaces and community centers closing early due to enforcement activity.

On Dec. 20, 2025, thousands of protesters marched in sub-freezing temperatures down Lake Street from Mercado Central to Karmel Mall, denouncing ICE and Operation Metro Surge. The protest was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Demonstrators demanded an end to what they called aggressive tactics targeting the Somali community.