Minnesota Republican Party chair Alex Plechash told NPR that a federal immigration enforcement surge known as Operation Metro Surge has been conducted in the Twin Cities and has fueled intense protests after two fatal shootings by federal officers. While backing the stated goal of targeting serious offenders, he said reports of U.S. citizens being profiled should be investigated if confirmed.
Minnesota’s Democratic-led state government and its largest cities have mounted a legal challenge to Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement surge launched in December 2025 that has brought large numbers of federal officers from agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) into the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.
A federal judge in Minnesota declined to halt the operation while litigation continues, rejecting a request by Minnesota officials for emergency relief. The lawsuit—filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison alongside the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul—argues the surge is unlawful and unconstitutional and asks the court to end it.
The operation has also become the focus of rising public anger after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot in Minneapolis in January 2026 during encounters involving federal officers operating amid the surge. Renée Nicole Macklin Good was killed on January 7, 2026, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, was killed on January 24, 2026. The deaths prompted demonstrations in Minnesota and drew calls for investigations into the use of force.
In an interview with NPR, Alex Plechash, the chair of the Minnesota Republican Party, described the federal activity as “quite unusual” compared with prior immigration enforcement efforts and said that the scale and visibility of the operation have contributed to the public reaction. He criticized what he characterized as permissive local and state policies and said the federal government’s intervention was not surprising in that context.
Plechash also addressed allegations that some residents—including U.S. citizens—have felt profiled or swept into stops during the operation. He said that if such conduct is occurring, it should be investigated, while urging caution until more facts are established.
State and city leaders, for their part, have said the surge has disrupted daily life and argue it amounts to an improper federal “occupation” of local communities. Federal officials have defended the operation as a public-safety initiative focused on immigration enforcement.
With Minnesota’s political campaigns already taking shape ahead of November 2026 elections, Plechash said he expects the current backlash to subside and argued Republicans should keep attention on broader voter concerns such as the cost of living and government accountability.
