The Trump administration has initiated what officials are calling the largest single immigration enforcement operation in US history, mobilising as many as 2,000 federal agents and officers for a major crackdown centred on the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area in Minnesota.
Unprecedented Scale of Federal Deployment
According to a source briefed on the details, the deployment which began over the weekend marks one of the most significant single-city mobilisations of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel in years. The source, who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to discuss the operation publicly, revealed the surge dramatically expands the federal law enforcement presence in a state already experiencing heightened political and community tensions.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons confirmed the scale in an interview with Newsmax, stating the agency was executing its "largest immigration operation ever." While he did not provide exact numbers, the source indicated roughly 75% of the personnel are from ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations, the branch responsible for arrests and deportations.
Focus on Fraud and Criminal Networks
The operation also involves agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE's investigative arm which typically targets fraud and cross-border crime. HSI agents have been conducting door-to-door inquiries in the Twin Cities area, investigating allegations tied to fraud, human smuggling, and unlawful employment practices.
The source explained that HSI agents will largely concentrate on identifying suspected fraud, while deportation officers will arrest individuals accused of immigration violations. Specialised tactical units are also participating in the operation.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly connected his administration's immigration actions in Minnesota to fraud cases involving federal nutrition and pandemic aid programmes, many involving defendants with Somali roots. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel announced federal agencies were intensifying operations in the state, with a focus on fraud probes.
Secretary Noem on the Ground for Arrests
Secretary Kristi Noem was personally present in the Minneapolis area, accompanying ICE officers during at least one arrest. In a video posted on social media platform X, she is seen wearing a tactical vest and knit cap as agents detain a man in St. Paul. She tells the handcuffed individual, "You will be held accountable for your crimes."
DHS stated the arrested man was from Ecuador and was wanted in both Ecuador and Connecticut on charges including murder and sexual assault. When pressed for the number of officers deployed, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin declined to give a figure, citing officer safety. She confirmed DHS had surged resources to Minnesota and had already made over 1,000 arrests of people described as killers, rapists, child sex offenders, and gang members.
The operation also includes personnel from US Customs and Border Protection, including Commander Gregory Bovino, whose role in past federal operations in other cities has drawn scrutiny from local officials and civil rights advocates.
Federal authorities began ramping up immigration arrests in the Minneapolis region late last year. The source familiar with the current deployment cautioned that its scope and duration could change in the coming days as the operation develops.
