Trump’s immigration crackdown ending in Minnesota

The Trump administration is finally ending its controversial immigration operation in Minnesota, a weeks-long crackdown that claimed the lives of two U.S. citizens and interrupted those of thousands more.

Latest developments: White House border czar Tim Homan announced the decision at a news conference Thursday, saying, “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude.” Under the so-called Operation Metro Surge, the administration deployed about 3,000 immigration officers into the state to target alleged fraud in government programs involving Somali residents. The crackdown resulted in more than 4,000 arrests, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

About 2,000 agents remain as the drawdown continues this week. The announcement comes as the Senate blocked a funding measure for the DHS, setting up a likely agency shutdown amid partisan disputes over enforcement reforms.

Mistakes made, lasting horrors: The 10-week crackdown escalated after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. Their deaths prompted Trump to replace Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino with Homan on Jan. 26. More than a dozen federal prosecutors in Minnesota also resigned, citing widespread accusations of racial profiling, warrantless searches and civil rights abuses.

The legal and political fallout has been severe. U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel issued a 41-page order Thursday condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for isolating “thousands of people” from their attorneys and violating detainees’ “constitutional right to access counsel.” Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz described the operation as “an unprecedented federal invasion” that inflicted “deep damage, generational trauma, economic ruin and many unanswered questions” on Minnesota. Amid the crisis, Trump’s approval has significantly dropped, with many now saying ICE has gone too far.

What this means for Asian Americans: The Minnesota crackdown has heightened longstanding anxieties about immigration enforcement. Polling shows opposition to Trump’s immigration policies among Asian Americans jumped from 58% to around 70% between March and fall of last year. Those concerns extend beyond immigration status itself. AAPI communities worry that aggressive federal tactics and broadened authority threaten constitutional safeguards for legal residents and citizens, particularly given the documented history of racial profiling and documentation challenges they face.

Following Pretti’s death, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) attended his vigil and denounced ICE as “a rogue, militarized police,” while Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) proposed legislation mandating independent probes of federal use of force. These strong reactions from Asian American lawmakers illustrated how heavy-handed tactics, no matter their official justification, erode trust between AAPI families and the federal immigration system they often must engage with.

Homan will stay in Minnesota to manage the withdrawal, though local officials say the impact on families, businesses and schools will be difficult to repair.