Border czar Tom Homan announces conclusion of Operation Metro Surge following nationwide backlash over fatal shootings and mass detentions

The Trump administration’s controversial immigration operation in Minnesota is coming to an end. Border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that Operation Metro Surge will conclude after the sweeping enforcement action resulted in more than 4,000 arrests, two deaths of U.S. citizens, and widespread protests that captured national attention. The decision marks a significant retreat for an administration that has made aggressive immigration enforcement a cornerstone of its agenda.

“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said at a news conference in Minneapolis on Thursday morning. The announcement comes less than three weeks after Trump deployed Homan to Minnesota to manage the crisis following the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal immigration agents.

The Human Cost of Operation Metro Surge

Operation Metro Surge began in early December 2025, flooding the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area with thousands of federal immigration agents. What the Trump administration framed as a targeted operation against “dangerous criminal illegal aliens” quickly spiraled into something far more troubling.

The operation’s death toll tells a stark story. On January 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, poet, and U.S. citizen. Good was in her car when federal agents approached. Video footage shows her attempting to drive away before Ross fired three shots, killing her. Off camera, a voice believed to be Ross can be heard calling her a “fucking bitch.”

Seventeen days later, federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Pretti was filming federal agents with his phone and helping a woman who had been pushed to the ground when he was pepper-sprayed, wrestled down by multiple agents, and shot at least 10 times. He was legally licensed to carry a handgun, though multiple news organizations confirmed he was holding only his cell phone when agents tackled him.

Both were U.S. citizens. Both were unarmed at the moment of their deaths. Both sparked national outrage.

The Scope of the Crackdown

The numbers behind Operation Metro Surge reveal the scale of the federal government’s presence in Minnesota. According to federal authorities, the operation led to more than 4,000 arrests across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

While the Trump administration repeatedly claimed these arrests targeted criminals, the reality on the ground told a different story. Many people with no criminal records were detained, including:

• U.S. citizens caught in the dragnet
• Children separated from their families
• Legal residents with proper documentation
• People simply going about their daily lives

The operation deployed approximately 2,700 federal agents at its peak—a force that outnumbered local law enforcement in many areas. Last week, Homan announced that 700 agents would leave immediately, though that still left roughly 2,000 agents on Minnesota streets.

Why Minnesota Became Ground Zero

Minnesota’s selection as the target for this massive operation wasn’t random. The state has long been viewed by the Trump administration as a “sanctuary state” that protects undocumented immigrants. Governor Tim Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 election, has been a vocal critic of Trump’s immigration policies.

“This has been an occupation and a retribution campaign against the state,” Walz said earlier this week. The governor had predicted the operation would end in “days, not weeks and months” based on his recent conversations with Homan and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

The operation’s intensity created a climate of fear throughout Minnesota’s immigrant communities. Parents kept children home from school. Patients missed hospital appointments. Businesses saw dramatic drops in customers as people feared leaving their homes.

The Turning Point: Public Backlash and Political Pressure

The killings of Good and Pretti became flashpoints that transformed public opinion—even among some Republicans. Support for Trump’s immigration efforts dropped sharply after the Minnesota shootings, according to polling data.

Protests erupted not just in Minneapolis, but in cities across America including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. In Minneapolis, demonstrations prompted school closings and the deployment of additional police officers. Federal agents responded with tear gas and pepper spray, and Governor Walz placed the National Guard on standby.

The Trump administration’s initial response made matters worse. Officials quickly labeled Good and Pretti “domestic terrorists”—claims that video evidence and witness testimony contradicted. President Trump himself said the victims were “highly disrespectful of law enforcement,” a statement that drew sharp criticism given his praise for January 6 insurrectionists.

Even gun rights organizations pushed back. The National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America condemned federal officials for criticizing Pretti’s legal possession of a firearm, citing his Second Amendment rights.

What Homan Claims Was Accomplished

At Thursday’s news conference, Homan framed the operation as a success, claiming Minnesota is “now less of a sanctuary state for criminals.” He cited what he called “unprecedented levels of coordination” with local law enforcement as a key factor in the decision to wind down operations.

According to Homan, local police are now responding when protesters pose what federal agents consider a public safety threat. He also said agents have secured cooperation from county jails to turn over undocumented people in their custody—though he did not specify whether Minnesota’s two largest counties, Hennepin and Ramsey, have agreed to this arrangement.

“We’ve had great success with this operation, and we’re leaving Minnesota safer,” Homan claimed. He emphasized that while the surge is ending, Trump’s broader mass deportation agenda will continue nationwide.

“For those who say we are backing down from immigration enforcement or the promise of mass deportations, you are simply wrong,” Homan said.

Local Leaders Respond With Caution and Hope

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who had called for an end to the operation, issued a statement celebrating the announcement while acknowledging the damage done.

“They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation,” Frey said. “This operation has been catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now it’s time for a great comeback.”

Governor Walz struck a more cautious tone, emphasizing a “trust but verify” approach. “The long road to recovery starts now,” he said. “The impact on our economy, our schools, and people’s lives won’t be reversed overnight.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday morning, was more direct in his criticism. “The surge is contributing to violent crime,” he said. “Two of the three homicides committed in Minneapolis in 2026 have come at the hands of federal immigration agents.”

The Broader Implications

The Minnesota operation’s conclusion raises important questions about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy going forward. Will other cities face similar surges? What lessons, if any, has the administration learned from the Minnesota backlash?

The operation also highlighted troubling patterns in how federal immigration enforcement operates:

Lack of accountability: State investigators were denied access to shooting scenes by the federal government, making independent investigations nearly impossible.

Detention of witnesses: Nearly two dozen witnesses to Pretti’s shooting were taken to the federally-controlled Whipple Building and detained for hours before being released.

Contradictory official statements: Trump administration officials made claims about both shootings that video evidence later contradicted, yet faced no consequences for spreading misinformation.

Targeting of legal observers: People documenting ICE activities—a constitutionally protected activity—faced harassment, detention, and in Good’s and Pretti’s cases, death.

What Happens Next

Homan said the drawdown of federal agents will continue over the next week, with agents either returning to their normal duty stations or being reassigned elsewhere. A “small footprint” of personnel will remain temporarily to transition command back to the local ICE field office and to monitor what Homan called “agitator activity.”

Homan himself plans to stay in Minnesota to oversee the withdrawal.

For Minnesota’s immigrant communities, the end of Operation Metro Surge brings relief mixed with uncertainty. The trauma of living under what many described as an occupation won’t disappear overnight. Families remain separated. Trust in law enforcement has been shattered. And the fear that federal agents could return at any moment lingers.

The families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti continue to seek justice. Multiple investigations into the shootings are ongoing, though the federal government’s control over evidence and crime scenes has complicated efforts to hold agents accountable.

A Test of American Values

The Minnesota immigration operation forced Americans to confront uncomfortable questions about who we are as a nation. When federal agents can kill U.S. citizens with apparent impunity, when thousands can be arrested without warrants, when entire communities live in fear—what does that say about our commitment to justice and the rule of law?

Renee Good’s wife, Becca, captured the stakes in a statement after her wife’s death: “We had whistles. They had guns.”

That imbalance of power, and how it was wielded in Minnesota, will have consequences that extend far beyond the state’s borders. The operation may be ending, but the questions it raised about immigration enforcement, civil liberties, and government accountability are just beginning to be answered.

As Minnesota begins the long process of healing, one thing is clear: the people of the state showed that community solidarity and peaceful resistance can force even the most powerful government to change course. That’s a lesson that resonates far beyond immigration policy—it’s a reminder that in a democracy, the people still have power when they choose to use it.

What You Can Do

If you’re concerned about immigration enforcement in your community:

• Know your rights: The ACLU offers resources on what to do if ICE comes to your door
• Support local immigrant advocacy organizations
• Attend city council meetings to advocate for sanctuary policies
• Document ICE activity (from a safe distance) to ensure accountability
• Contact your elected representatives to demand oversight and reform

The end of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota shows that public pressure and political accountability can make a difference. But the work of protecting immigrant communities and ensuring constitutional rights are respected continues.

What are your thoughts on the Minnesota immigration operation? How can communities better protect vulnerable residents while ensuring public safety? Share your perspective in the comments below.