ICE in Minnesota — Days 69-71: Hints of Fed Withdrawal Teased, Homeland Security Chiefs Grilled in Congress
Minneapolis, MN – Politicians are hinting Operation Metro Surge could wind down, but any change in the situation remains vaporous for now.
Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday at a press conference that the surge of federal agents is expected to end in a matter of days, and that Tom Homan, the White House ‘Border Czar’ is expected to announce the next steps by the end of the week. Whether that will hold true is unclear (many are skeptical), but this marks the first hint at a major drawdown since the withdrawal of 700 agents earlier this month.
A growing immigration caseload has put mounting pressure on federal prosecutors, causing many to fold their cards and resign since last month. The latest domino to fall has been ICE’s top prosecutor, Jim Stolley, who announced his departure Sunday morning.
As of Saturday, it has been one month since federal agents killed Renee Good, and two weeks since agents killed Alex Pretti. Additionally, it has been two weeks without federal agents shooting anybody in the Twin Cities as far as we know, which is a small victory compared to the period where they managed to shoot one person per week.
Mutual aid projects and countless volunteers have continued to support thousands of families in Minnesota — many of them indexed with donation information at StandWithMinnesota.com.
Crowdsourced ICE encounter reports in the last several days have shown more activity fanning out into the suburbs, as agents have found it easier to fill quotas in less dense areas.
The ICE OUT dashboard for reported events on 2/10 shows a similar heavily suburban distribution of activity (Note many of these are ‘not confirmed’ events).
Continuing our news briefs documenting ICE in Minnesota, below are updates from the past several days of ICE activity in the state.
Tuesday, February 10: Day 71
Gov. Walz: ICE drawdown expected in ‘days, not weeks and months’ – During a press conference to highlight the impact of the federal immigration surge on local small business, Gov. Tim Walz said the surge of federal immigration agents in the city as a part of Operation Metro Surge could be over as soon as next week. White House Border Czar Tom Homan is expected to make an announcement on the future of the operation by the end of next week, according to Walz. “It’s my expectation, and we will hear more from them in the next day or so, that we are talking days, not weeks and months, of this occupation,” Walz said. Jacob Frey said he met with Homan on Monday and discussed similar points in coming weeks.
A group of Natives sets up tipis at Whipple Building – The Whipple Building was the site of a Fort Snelling concentration camp run by the federal government against Dakota people in the 1800s. Now a group of tipis has been set up in the immediate area (Video by djaddmpls, 2/10).
Rep. August Pfluger accuses Twin Cities residents of domestic terrorism – U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX11) suggested Tuesday during the House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee hearing that Minneapolis residents involved with the Defend 612 network of public Signal groups are committing acts of domestic terrorism. Elements of DHS may run out of funding on Friday. U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) said he “absolutely” expects a DHS shutdown on Friday as ICE negotiations stall and appropriations run out (Philadelphia Inquirer 2/10).
ICE head claims U.S. citizens won’t be detained despite repeated detentions – At the hearing Democratic members were largely scathing towards U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, Rodney Scott, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Lyons told the committee during the hearing that legal U.S. citizens do not have to “feel scared walking down the street” because they will not be detained. This contradicts the repeated detentions of legal U.S. citizens since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term.
CBP head: “Paid agitators” to blame for unrest in Twin Cities – The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott claimed “paid agitators” were to blame for the unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul Tuesday during the hearing. “Why is it that there is so much tension in Minneapolis and St. Paul right now?” Scott asked. “Because paid agitators are actively trying to stop law enforcement action. Without that, you wouldn’t even have any idea most of these arrests were taking place.” This has been a traditional criticism of organized activism since the 1960s, but no clear evidence was presented by federal law enforcement authorities.
ICE to release body camera footage – During the House of Representatives’ Oversight hearing on Tuesday, acting ICE director Todd Lyons told Congress that his agency plans on releasing body camera footage from federal agents deployed throughout Minnesota.
ICE expands its operation across the country – As a part of a secret expansion campaign, ICE has been leasing offices throughout the country, Wired reported (archive). The expansion plan, citing “unusual and compelling urgency,” includes dozens of new cities and plans to expand existing offices. These are thought to be secured office-like spaces similar to police stations for the “Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) divisions,” not the large-scale detention centers which have been separately reported in recent days. No additional expansions in Minnesota were mentioned, although some new space in Milwaukee is believed to be in the cards.
Researchers have been scouring General Services Administration postings for indications of more ICE activity; see the new Project Salt Box “crash course” for info on digging up possible ICE deals in your area.
Federal agents swarm 18-year-old inside Government Center – Federal immigration agents detained Junior de Jesus Herrera Berrios inside of the Hennepin County Government Center Tuesday, resulting in a chaotic spectacle, the Star Tribune reported. Herrera Berrios was at the center to make a court appearance for charges related to allegedly transporting 57 pounds of methamphetamine last month.
Mankato City Council moves to unmask ICE agents – Mankato’s City Council passed an emergency ordinance Tuesday that would require out-of-town law enforcement to unmask, wear body cameras and clearly identify who they work for while operating in the city, the Star Tribune reported. The council also voted to redirect $30,000 to local food shelves for residents who are afraid to leave their homes to work or shop.
Ex-federal prosecutors start up new firm, work on Don Lemon’s defense – Joe Thompson and Harry Jacobs are now in the criminal defense business at Thompson Jacobs PLLC after years with the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office. They resigned among other career staff during the tense period when President Trump was levying false statements about Renee Good and pressure came down from the national DOJ, including FBI director Kash Patel, to block the investigation into her killing by Jonathan Ross. Thompson notably was the lead prosecutor on the web of social service fraud cases that ostensibly justified the entire federal operation. Thompson will be representing journalist Don Lemon, who was charged by feds after he reported at a demonstration inside a St. Paul church where acting ICE ERO St. Paul field office director David Easterwood is a pastor (Star Tribune, 2/10).
Minnesota crisis looms over the Olympics – Much to the chagrin of conservatives, leading athletes representing the United States at the Winter Games in Milan, Italy, have voiced their opposition to the situation in Minnesota. Attorney and curler Rich Ruohonen from Brooklyn Park said (USA Today video 2/10),
“We’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention what’s going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it’s been for everybody. This stuff is happening right around where we live. And I am a lawyer as you know, we have a Constitution, it […] protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures […] What’s happening in Minnesota is wrong. There is no shades of gray, it’s clear. I really love what’s been happening there now, with people coming out, showing the love, the compassion, integrity and respect for others that they don’t know and helping them out. And we love Minnesota for that. […] We are playing for the people in Minnesota and the people around the country who share those same values.”
Attorney and curler Rich Ruohonen
International sports events such as the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup are also becoming more fraught prospects since many expect international attendees would get harassed and abused by out-of-control immigration agents. 78 of 104 games will take place in the U.S., with perhaps 10 million visitors. U.S. Rep Nellie Pou (D-NJ9) pressed acting ICE director Todd Lyons to commit to pausing operations around FIFA events (Guardian 2/10; Axios 2/10). Lyons said “ICE, specifically Homeland Security Investigations, is a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.” Fan groups have been “extremely concerned by the ongoing militarisation of police forces” in the U.S. (BBC, 1/30)
Bloomington police bag DHS-linked worker yet again in sex trafficking sting – For the second time in recent months the Bloomington police say they have caught someone connected with Homeland Security in a sex solicitation sting (BPD press conference 2/10). Brashad Johnson, 36, of Maple Grove, was arrested. “When you’re getting your security clearance, this is one of the guys that does your backgrounds, which is kind of scary,” said Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges (KSTP5, 2/10). In November, Bloomington police allegedly caught Alexander Steven Back, 41, trying to solicit a 17-year-old girl. Similarly, “Back was hired in 2022 as an auditor for I-9 forms, or employment eligibility verification forms” (NBC News, 11/19/25).
Monday, February 9: Day 70
ICE agents increasingly target legal observers in the Twin Cities – ICE agents have been increasingly targeting legal observers following them around the Twin Cities, abducting them and detaining them at the Whipple building where the federal immigration surge is headquartered, the Intercept reported (2/9). The increase in abductions follows an alleged deescalation of federal activity in the state following the departure of former commander-at-large of Border Patrol Greg Bovino.
DFL legislators crafting bill to respond to ICE operation – DFL state lawmakers are working on legislation intended to hold ICE agents accountable, the Star Tribune reported. The legislation, according to State Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-MN61), would ban face masks and other forms of deception and facilitate civil actions against federal agents for abuse.
Federal appeals court rules in favor of Trump admin’s mass detention policy – Federal authorities can now indefinitely hold immigrants at Texas detention facilities and other locations within the Fifth Circuit, Sahan Journal reported. The Reagan-appointed Judge Edith Jones, along with Trump-appointed Judge Kyle Duncan in a 2-1 ruling, declared that the federal government was justified in using the 1996 border-entry statute to indefinitely detain migrants. As federal agents in Minnesota have been rushing to transport detained migrants to facilities in Texas, the ruling removes any prospect for individuals in detention to seek bond hearings, meaning judges will not be able to determine if they can be released from custody. Most of the district court judges who’ve sided with Trump were appointed by him (Politico 2/6; Steve Vladeck 2/7; Bloomberg Law 2/6; Lawdork on Bluesky 2/6). An amicus brief from the MacArthur Justice Center outlines how this policy departs from existing case law (pdf 1/27). [More on this on our Day 68 update]
Sheriff Witt: Still no moves on jail cooperation with ICE – Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt told the Star Tribune (2/6) that her office has made no decisions on allowing federal immigration agents to use the Hennepin County jail for housing detainees and for the jail to transfer undocumented immigrants in custody to ICE. According to Witt, Tom Homan, the White House ‘Border Czar,’ has not put pressure on her to make a decision, adding that the jail serves as a pre-trial facility only.
Feds fast-tracking Somali asylum claims – In Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska more than 100 asylum cases getting rescheduled and recategorized by federal authorities (NPR News, 2/9). Nearly half the approximately 3,254 pending cases are out of Minnesota. All the rescheduled cases involve clients who entered the U.S. between 2018 and 2024; it appears they are being funneled to executive branch immigration judges who grant asylum at lower rates than average. President Trump has repeatedly shown animus towards Somali people, calling them “garbage” at a Cabinet meeting last December (NPR News, 12/3/25 & 12/2/25).
Sunday, February 8: Day 69
Super Bowl Sunday seemed to bring a relative lull after a busy Saturday with protest events and political developments – see the Day 68 update for more. Dozens of protesters were arrested at the Whipple building on Saturday.
Top Minnesota ICE prosecutor resigns – ICE’s chief counsel in Minnesota, Jim Stolley, resigned after 31 years of public service, the Star Tribune reported. The news comes as the federal immigration system strains under an increasingly massive caseload, and as mounting internal pressure forces other prosecutors to resign. [More on the attorney burnout and court order violations in our day 68 update.]
DHS continues to push back against reports of poor conditions at Whipple – The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Sunday claiming “any claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE facilities are FALSE,” the Star Tribune reported. The statement was a response to U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison’s (DFL-MN3) visit to Whipple, after which she said the conditions are “dehumanizing” for detainees.
ICE agents increasingly relying on deception, ruses – The deception tactics used by federal immigration authorities have become increasingly extreme, potentially as a response to the network of ICE observers in Minneapolis, Minnesota Public Radio reported (2/8). The deception includes instances of vehicles dressed up as fake electrical companies, with ICE agents inside wearing white hard hats and high visibility vests, in an attempt to camouflage themselves. ICE agents have attempted various tactics including running high-profile cars to attract attention. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX20) stated Texas National Guard members under GOP Governor Greg Abbott’s command have been “camouflaged as civilians” at immigration detention sites, including Dilley (Latin Times 2/4; News4SanAntonio 2/3).
Minnesota women profiled “holding Minneapolis together” – National press coverage of the federal operation has landed in typically less political media channels including a detailed report in Glamour (2/7), including faith leaders teachers like Mandi Jung, reporter Georgia Fort, business owner Angie Lee and COPAL organizer Carolina Ortiz.
Previous ICE Blog Update: ICE in Minnesota — Day 68: Day of Protests, One Month Since Feds Killed Renee Good
Check out the community-run maps of action in your local area, ICEout.org, defrostmn.net and the dashboard filled with public data.
Follow us on X (aka Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Mastodon, Threads, BlueSky and Patreon.
Please consider a tax-deductible donation to help sustain our horizontally-organized, non-profit media organization:
2025-2026 Unicorn Riot Coverage of the DHS / ICE Crackdown Campaign in Minnesota:
Click the image to see all UR coverage of federal law enforcement operations in MN.
Watch Unicorn Riot’s videos from ICE in Minneapolis in playlist below.
