Minnesota’s Operation Metro Surge will wind down after a contentious two-month immigration enforcement operation on the streets of the Twin Cities.
Border Czar Tom Homan announced plans to end Metro Surge on Thursday, saying a significant drawdown of federal law enforcement has been underway this week and will continue into the coming weeks.
The targeted operation surged more than 3,000 federal agents to the state at its peak and resulted in the arrest of 4,000 criminal illegal aliens, including violent killers, rapists, gang members, and child predators, according to a recent White House press release.
Besides removing public safety threats, the effort located 3,364 missing unaccompanied alien children in the state, “children that the last administration lost and weren’t even looking for,” Homan noted.
Homan deemed the operation a success as far as removing wanted criminal illegal aliens, and he credited cooperation from state officials and local law enforcement in helping to quell the violent anti-ICE agitators who were interfering in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Homan spoke for 12 minutes before announcing Operation Metro Surge would end during a news conference Thursday morning at the Bishop Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis.
“As the results of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said. “And we are proud of the public safety threats and criminal aliens we have removed out of this state.”
As federal officers leave the state, Homan said he will remain on the ground to oversee the draw down and ensure its success. A full withdrawal of federal agents also hinges on the continued cooperation of local and state law enforcement to address crowd control and violent agitators on the streets of the Twin Cities.
He emphasized that forcibly assaulting, resisting, impeding, intimidating or interfering with federal law enforcement is a crime.
“It’s not okay and will not be tolerated,” Homan said. “Zero tolerance if you cross that line and put hands on an ICE officer…While the Trump administration supports everyone’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech and assembly and to petition, it has to be done lawfully and peacefully.”
He added: “I’m very pleased to report that this surge operation and our work here with state and local officials to improve coordination and achieve mutual goals, as well as our efforts to address issues of concern here on the ground, have yielded the successful results we came here for,” Homan said.
Homan said he spoke to President Donald Trump and proposed an end to Operation Metro Surge, which began in December with the arrival of Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and thousands of Customs and Border Protection officers, along with ICE agents and other federal investigators.
Homan arrived on Jan. 27 to lead on-the-ground immigration enforcement and work with local officials to get a handle on civil unrest in the streets of Minneapolis. Trump sent Homan to Minnesota to manage the fallout from two fatal shootings involving anti-ICE agitators and seek coordination with state and local officials.
Since his arrival, Homan said there has been an “unprecedented level of coordination” with law enforcement officials that is focused on promoting public safety across the entire state.
“We’ve seen a big change here in the last couple of weeks, and it’s all good changes,” Homan added.
Homan said some federal personnel will remain for a period of time to help transition full command and control of ICE operations back to the field office.
He said they will also ensure agitator activity continues to decline and that state and local law enforcement responds to civil unrest to ensure law enforcement and community safety.
In addition, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators as well as the ongoing fraud investigation will remain until their work is done.
As a result of the surge operation, the communities of the Twin Cities are much safer, Homan said, and the engagements and discussions with state and local officials and law enforcement will continue going forward to enhance public safety.
“As a result of this surge operation, we have greatly reduced the number of targets for enforcement action and many criminal aliens have been arrested and taken off the streets,” Homan said. “ICE will continue to identify, arrest and remove illegal aliens that pose a risk to public safety like we have done for years.”
Homan also refuted claims that ICE has arrested people in churches, hospitals and schools.
“It simply has not happened. If you have a case where it happened, you let me know, because all the digging I’ve done here I can’t find a single one,” he said.
One big change involves county jails being able to notify ICE of an inmate’s release date as long as they don’t hold them past their scheduled release.
“We now have the ability to arrest criminal aliens in the safety and security of jails throughout the state at the time they are being released like we’ve done in other states,” Homan said.
The Border Czar also directed the strategic placement of officers throughout the state who can respond quickly when a sheriff’s department plans to release illegal immigrants, so they don’t hold them unnecessarily.
In addition, there has been a coordinated effort to de-escalate the volatile and violent clashes between unlawful agitators and federal law enforcement.
Homan said he received commitments from state and local law enforcement that they will respond if federal law enforcement is being obstructed or assaulted, and they will shut down unlawful agitator activity.
“We saw that this past weekend,” he said. “They have taken action when it comes to public safety, and bless them for doing that.”
Homan also had a message for the violent agitators who are chasing and harassing ICE agents, setting up barricades and impeding and obstructing law enforcement. “If you break the law, we are going to arrests you,” he said.
“This is not the way to express your disagreement or try to reform federal laws,” Homan continued. “Go talk to your members of Congress if you want the laws changed in this country. …Nor is doxxing federal law enforcement personnel and their families. It’s just not right. Enough is enough with this misguided, reckless and shameful behavior. We don’t want to see any more bloodshed.”
They have arrested more than 200 people related to violent protests and impeding or assaulting ICE, Homan said. Their coordinated efforts to obstruct ICE and cause chaos and destruction must wind down as a condition for further draw down of law enforcement personnel. “I will not leave my officers in that position,” Homan added.
While criminals are the priority for ICE enforcement, Homan did not apologize for enforcing U.S. immigration law and said all persons in the United States illegally are at risk of being removed.
“ICE is a legitimate federal law enforcement agency,” Homan said. “We are not out scouring the streets to disappear people or deny people their civil rights or due process.”
Homan praised the work of dedicated ICE and Border Patrol agents and the leadership of President Trump and his commitment to border security and law and order.
The agents assigned to Minneapolis will return to their duty stations or be assigned elsewhere for other immigration operations.
“We have a lot of work do to across this country to remove public safety risks who shouldn’t even be in this country and to deliver on President Trump’s promise for strong border security and mass deportation,” Homan said. “…I’ve said it many times. I’ve worked for six different presidents, 10 different administrations, and no one has done it better than President Trump.”
