Tom Homan, the White House border czar, announced on Thursday the end of Operation Metro Surge, a major federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. Democratic officials credit community resistance for the drawdown, while Homan attributes it to local cooperation. The announcement comes amid ongoing investigations into the deaths of two U.S. citizens during the operation.
On Thursday, February 13, 2026, Tom Homan declared the end of Operation Metro Surge, which involved deploying 3,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities area in Minnesota for immigration enforcement. Homan described the operation as a success, citing data on deportations and stating that the decision was motivated by unprecedented cooperation from local authorities, who agreed to hand over individuals set to be released from jails. He emphasized that the withdrawal does not signal a retreat from broader immigration enforcement or mass deportations, with about 150 pre-operation agents, along with those investigating fraud and anti-ICE activities, remaining in the state.
Democratic leaders in Minnesota hailed the announcement as a victory for community resistance. Senator Amy Klobuchar stated, "Minnesotans stood together, stared down ICE, and never blinked. Our state has shown the world how to protect our democracy and take care of our neighbors." She added, "ICE withdrawing from Minnesota is just the beginning. We need accountability for the lives lost and the extraordinary abuses of power at the hands of ICE agents, and we must see a complete overhaul of the agency."
The operation drew significant controversy, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and member of an ICE watch group, by an ICE officer last month in Minneapolis, and the shooting of Alex Pretti, another U.S. citizen and anti-ICE activist, by Border Patrol agents weeks later. Video showed Pretti kicking a federal vehicle's taillight and spitting on an officer prior to the incident. Ongoing state and federal investigations are examining these deaths, with a Trump-appointed federal judge ruling that evidence cannot be destroyed.
Governor Tim Walz remarked that Homan had not specified when agents would leave but offered to help them "pack their bags." St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, who signed an ordinance requiring federal agents to identify themselves, said, "Any announcement of a drawdown or end to Operation Metro Surge must be followed by real action."
Minneapolis City Council members Aisha Chughtai and Jason Chavez echoed calls for full ICE withdrawal and abolition, describing the drawdown as a community-led achievement but urging continued vigilance. Andrew Fahlstrom of Defend the 612 praised the united response at schools, hospitals, and streets, noting it demonstrated how to become a sanctuary city.
Klobuchar highlighted economic impacts, including an estimated $18 million weekly cost to taxpayers, with $9 million for compensation and $4.5 million for lodging, plus overtime for local police. She anticipates civil lawsuits over rights violations, such as racial profiling, and seeks federal access to evidence for potential prosecutions. The ICE budget, tripled to $75 billion, faces scrutiny amid a potential DHS shutdown over immigration rules.
