Months after a significant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation, known as Operation Metro Surge, drew down its presence in Minneapolis, the community continues to experience the lingering effects of fear, trauma, and distrust. Immigration advocates and organizers state that residents are still wary of resuming normal activities and recovering financially.
"There’s still fear," said Hodan Hassan, a board member for the Somali American Coalition Action Fund and former Minnesota state representative. "People are still afraid… and, like we said, we haven’t had a chance to process as a community to sit down and talk about what happened to us."
Residents have described a persistent sense of unease, with many continuing to carry their passports due to worries of being stopped and profiled. Basic activities like leaving their homes, visiting local businesses, and seeing friends and family remain challenging for some. The operation also led to financial losses for individuals who stayed home during the height of the raids, impacting their ability to earn income.
"The long-term damage, I think, has been done where there’s a lot more mistrust in the government," said Kang Vang, a citizenship teacher at the Hmong Cultural Center. "People are still very cautious, you know. I still carry my passport around."
During the operation, over 3,000 federal agents were deployed to Minnesota. The surge resulted in the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were fatally shot by federal agents while observing ICE actions. Reports also detailed brutal detentions of immigrants and people of color, including Aliya Rahman being dragged from her car, Mubashir Hussen tackled during his lunch break, and ChongLy “Scott” Thao removed from his home in freezing temperatures. Families were separated as parents and children were apprehended en route to work or school.
Allegations of indiscriminate racial profiling were prevalent, according to residents and local officials. "There was nowhere that felt safe, or that ICE was not there. We saw them driving around, we saw them everywhere all the time," said Hanne Sandison, immigration and legal services director for The Advocates for Human Rights.
The increased ICE presence also caused small businesses to suspend or cease operations and led people to fear venturing outside, effectively forcing them into hiding. Roads were marked by abandoned cars where individuals had been detained, according to Malika Dahir, executive director of Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment.
For individuals who had previously fled authoritarian regimes, the scenes evoked familiar trauma. "Some of our elders... when we had conversations, talked about living through dictatorship, you know, government, and people coming to their houses in the middle of the night, masked men taking people away, and they were reliving that trauma," Hassan recounted.
Community support efforts, including mutual aid and grocery deliveries, that began during the ICE surge have continued. Neighborhood patrols of religious spaces and schools are also ongoing. Sergio Amezcua, a pastor at DHH Church, noted that initial efforts to help an estimated 10 to 20 families expanded to support 50,000 families, and these services persist.
Organizations are working to help the community process the events. SEWA-AIFW hosts Story Circles for individuals to share their experiences, while The Advocates for Human Rights is involved in documenting the events. "All of that trauma cannot be resolved just with the absence of a large-scale immigration enforcement effort," said Anjuli Cameron, CEO of SEWA-AIFW. "It’s not as if officers left, and then there was an immediate everything’s fine."
Despite the advertised end to Operation Metro Surge, advocates say immigration enforcement continues in the region, albeit in a quieter, less visible manner. "There was an advertised end to Metro Surge and Operation PARRIS, but ICE hasn’t left, and we still see them around," Sandison stated. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson claimed arrests during Metro Surge were a "HUGE victory for public safety" and denied allegations of racial profiling. The spokesperson also confirmed Homeland Security Investigators are in Minneapolis looking into fraud claims.
While fewer than 500 ICE agents reportedly remained in Minnesota as of late February, ICE agents continue to operate nationwide. Sandison's organization continues to receive reports of detentions and ICE presence in areas outside the Twin Cities. "There is an active ICE operation. It’s just that they’re not super physical because of what happened in Minnesota, because of the blood that has been spilled, because of the negative media attention. They’re not super visible, but ICE is still here," Hassan said.
As a result, many Minnesotans remain on edge, concerned about potential new tactics and the possibility of similar large-scale enforcement efforts recurring. "I think, you know, people came back very cautiously, knowing that this could pop up again anytime," Vang said.