2,000 federal agents sent to Minneapolis area to carry out 'largest immigration operation ever,' ICE says

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/2000-federal-agents-sent-to-minneapolis-area-to-carry-out-largest-immigration-operation-ever-ice-says

2,000 federal agents sent to Minneapolis area to carry out 'largest immigration operation ever,' ICE says
Politics Jan 6, 2026 6:42 PM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has launched what officials describe as the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever carried out, preparing to deploy as many as 2,000 federal agents and officers to the Minneapolis area for a sweeping crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

The surge dramatically expands the federal law enforcement footprint in Minnesota amid heightened political and community tensions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, during an interview with Newsmax, called the crackdown the agency's "largest immigration operation ever."

Neither Lyons nor Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said how many officers were involved.


Immigrant rights groups and elected officials in the Twin Cities reported a sharp increase Tuesday in sightings of federal agents, notably around St. Paul. Numerous agents' vehicles were reported making traffic stops, outside area businesses and apartment buildings.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also present and accompanied ICE officers during at least one arrest. A video posted on X showed Noem wearing a tactical vest and knit cap as agents arrested a man in St. Paul. In the video, she tells the handcuffed man: "You will be held accountable for your crimes."