Minneapolis Still Reeling From Major Immigration Operation’s Lasting Effects

Minneapolis residents continue to face significant challenges weeks after a massive federal immigration operation concluded. The city is dealing with economic losses exceeding $200 million, missing students, and families too afraid to seek medical care.

Federal immigration agents are no longer a common sight on Minneapolis streets, but the city continues to struggle with the aftermath of a major enforcement operation that swept through the area earlier this year.

While many residents still carry red whistles to alert others of immigration agent sightings, and parents continue watching school perimeters, the need for such vigilance has decreased. The community networks that once tracked federal agents remain in place but operate on a much smaller scale, as enforcement activities have largely shifted to surrounding areas.

The streets that once witnessed chaotic scenes during President Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts have returned to a semblance of normalcy. However, city officials, educators, healthcare workers, advocates, and immigrant residents say this apparent calm masks the deep and lasting harm caused by Operation Metro Surge.

The operation, which ran from December through February, deployed approximately 3,000 immigration agents throughout the region. Federal officials reported making around 4,000 arrests during the sweeps.

Mayor Jacob Frey estimates that 400 federal immigration officers still remain in the city – more than twice the typical number. “The comprehensive assault we endured during Operation Metro Surge extended beyond just ICE agents,” Frey stated. “We’re witnessing additional forms of attacks.”

The Democratic mayor outlined various impacts: children battling cancer who “can’t receive treatment” because their families refuse to leave their homes; Medicaid and Medicare transfers suspended by the Trump administration; and federal funding for shelters and affordable housing either cut or made dependent on cooperation with immigration enforcement.

More than two dozen residents interviewed described a community attempting to heal. Some struggle with rent payments or purchasing food after losing employment or remaining too frightened to venture outside. Many reported experiencing collective trauma.

The number of arrests made since border czar Tom Homan announced the operation’s conclusion remains unknown. The operation resulted in the fatal shooting of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for information. When questioned about Minneapolis immigration enforcement status, a White House representative mentioned “cooperation that did not exist before” between local and federal officials but provided no specifics.

Frey calculated that economic harm from January’s immigration activities alone reached $203 million. Approximately 76,000 residents who were too scared to work or whose employers closed operations require rental assistance.

“Lives were lost. Families were separated. Businesses shuttered,” Frey said, expressing his desire for federal compensation for the inflicted damage. “I’m not optimistic – but it would be appropriate for them to address some of the harm they created,” he added.

Frey reported no recent communication with Trump administration officials.

Dr. Lane Miller, an oncologist at Children’s Minnesota, a major pediatric healthcare system, described the operation’s impact on his patients as continuing to be “devastating.”

He reported 50% appointment no-show rates for children with conditions including sickle cell disease and active cancer.

“These immigrant families remain frozen with fear,” Miller explained. “We haven’t seen any improvement in our clinic regarding those families feeling safe to come here.”

“We’re operating blindly with many of these patients,” Miller said.

Miller described troubling cases, including a 14-year-old leukemia patient whose father and primary caregiver was detained by ICE five weeks earlier. When the boy finally received care, blood tests revealed he had stopped taking medication; the extended family members caring for him didn’t understand his treatment plan or ensure medication compliance.

“Missing even individual doses two years into treatment can raise relapse risk,” Miller explained. “Relapses are significantly more difficult to treat.”

Brenda Lewis, superintendent of Fridley Public Schools, oversees a district serving approximately 2,800 students, with 80% from immigrant or minority backgrounds. She now faces a $1 million budget shortfall she attributes to the operation.

Nearly 100 students have disappeared from her schools. Some transferred to districts not targeted by ICE, others were deported with families, and many remain unaccounted for. Since Minnesota’s school funding depends on enrollment, each absent student represents roughly $10,000 in lost revenue. The district also lost $130,000 in nutrition funding since December.

Lewis’ district has filed suit against the Trump administration to restore regulations designating schools as immigration safe zones. She now regularly advises superintendents nationwide who contact her with concerns about potential enforcement actions.

“This isn’t what we prepared for as educators – and it seems these new challenges have no clear endpoint,” Lewis said.

In Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood, which houses many immigrants, the visible crisis of early 2024 has transformed into something less apparent but equally pressing.

Alexandria Gomez, a substitute teacher living in Phillips, started a rent assistance GoFundMe for neighbors that has collected over $730,000 since January. She personally delivers cash to families who trust no one else to bring it.

One woman Gomez visits was considering returning to work when she saw ICE outside her building and retreated to her apartment.

The 37-year-old Gomez worries about another operation in spring or summer. She points to numerous SUVs with tinted windows – vehicles typically used in immigration raids – recently delivered to the building ICE agents use for staging operations. Reuters confirmed witnessing delivery of six such vehicles on Wednesday.

While Gomez notices some resident fatigue, she remains dedicated to her efforts.

“This assault has created an entire city of people now deeply engaged in their communities and prepared to resist,” Gomez said.