Gov. Tim Walz says Minnesota endured ‘unprecedented federal invasion’ as Operation Metro Surge ends

Gov. Tim Walz said Minnesotans “never wavered” during a monthslong surge of federal immigration agents in the state, delivering food to families in need and protesting even in subzero temperatures.

“Over the past six weeks, the state of Minnesota and the people of this great state have endured an unprecedented federal invasion in all aspects of life,” Walz said shortly after news broke that Operation Metro Surge would wind down.

“Our sense of normalcy was shook to the core. The trauma that’s been inflicted, certainly across the immigrant community but to every single Minnesotan, is unlike anything we’ve witnessed,” he said. “We’ve been through natural disasters, we’ve been through COVID, but this is something I don’t think any state has ever experienced.”

White House border czar Tom Homan said thousands of immigration agents assigned to the state will be drawn down and redeployed to other parts of the United States. He called the operation a success, citing the arrests of criminals and cooperation with local leaders in Minnesota.

The operation has led to clashes between federal agents and protesters and observers. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by federal agents in January, increasing tensions on the ground and scrutiny on President Donald Trump’s administration’s tactics.

A recent NBC News Decision Desk/KARE 11/Minnesota Star Tribune Poll, powered by SurveyMonkey, found that the immigration operation is deeply unpopular with Minnesotans, with about two-thirds saying they view U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement negatively and believe the tactics of federal agents have gone too far. That disapproval was particularly notable in the Twin Cities suburbs, which will be a key political battleground in this year’s races for Minnesota governor and U.S. Senate.

Even as federal agents leave the state, Walz said many questions remain unanswered, including whether there will be investigations into the shootings of Good and Pretti.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that Operation Metro Surge has been “catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now it’s time for a great comeback.”

“They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation,” Frey said. “These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance — standing with our neighbors is deeply American.”

As news broke that the surge would come to an end, Minnesota lawmakers and officials were in Washington to testify in front of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about the shooting deaths of Good and Pretti.

Republican Minnesota U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer blamed Minnesota Democrats for the unrest during Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown.

“It was all a direct result of radical sanctuary state and city policies in Minnesota by preventing local law enforcement from working together with federal law enforcement,” Emmer told members of the committee.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who is running for governor this fall, said in a statement that Minnesotans “never blinked.”

“Our state has shown the world how to protect our democracy and take care of our neighbors,” she said. “ICE withdrawing from Minnesota is just the beginning. We need accountability for the lives lost and the extraordinary abuses of power at the hands of ICE agents, and we must see a complete overhaul of the agency.”

Deena Winter of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.