Kristi Noem in Twin Cities as ICE carries out what it calls ‘largest immigration operation ever’

By the time most Twin Cities residents were waking up on Jan. 6, armed federal immigration agents in bulletproof vests had surrounded a man in a St. Paul neighborhood, detaining him as cameras rolled. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared alongside the agents, offering a highly visible marker of the Trump administration’s escalating immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called it the “largest immigration operation ever” in a Jan. 6 interview with Newsmax.

The rollout came through a series of social media posts. Videos shared by the DHS and Noem showed ICE agents arresting a man they identified as Tomas Espin Tapia in St. Paul’s Payne-Phalen neighborhood.

Noem said Espin Tapia had been convicted in his native Ecuador of robbery and extortion and had a warrant for murder there. An Ecuadorian court document from 2018 obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune implicates Espin Tapia and several others in the kidnapping of a man as part of an effort to collect a ransom.

Court records show Espin Tapia has been in Minnesota for at least a few years. He has been cited multiple times for driving without a license and was scheduled to appear in Dakota County District Court on Jan. 7 for the same offense. The DHS said in a press release that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on Feb. 28 after Espin Tapia failed to show up for his immigration hearing.

The morning’s messaging began with DHS declaring “GOOD MORNING MINNEAPOLIS!” before posting footage of Espin Tapia’s arrest. Captured by people carrying professional cameras and a boom microphone, it appeared to underscore what officials and advocates alike describe as a marked escalation in federal immigration activity in Minnesota.

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP House majority whip, celebrated ICE’s presence in Minneapolis, responding to a DHS post with, “God bless our brave ICE agents. Go out there and get ’em.”

The social media blitz, including photos and videos of Noem talking with Twin Cities agents, came as reports surfaced that the Trump administration is preparing to send hundreds — possibly as many as 2,000 — additional federal agents to the Twin Cities for a 30-day surge operation. CBS News, citing anonymous law enforcement sources, reported that the deployment would include agents from ICE’s deportation branch and Homeland Security Investigations, dramatically expanding the federal footprint in Minnesota.

While DHS did not respond to the Star Tribune’s requests to confirm that number, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that more than 1,000 arrests have been made in the state. The Minnesota Star Tribune has been unable to verify that number, and the agency has not released a list of those detained.

A DHS press release said 150 people in the country illegally were arrested in Minneapolis on Jan. 5.

For more than a month, the expanding federal presence has rippled outward — from courthouses to neighborhoods to businesses. ICE agents have been spotted making arrests in libraries and street corners across the metro, often drawing crowds of protesters and legal observers.

Activists and an attorney who have been tracking ICE’s movements across the Twin Cities said Jan. 6 brought a noticeable increase in enforcement activity.

Many local authorities say they do not participate in or assist with federal immigration enforcement and are often not notified in advance of ICE operations. Federal law prohibits local law enforcement from interfering with lawful immigration arrests.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has repeatedly said his department does not cooperate with immigration enforcement and encourages residents to call 911 if they are unsure whether people detaining someone are legitimate law enforcement officers. Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office officials have said deputies do not assist with civil immigration arrests but may be present in public spaces to maintain order.

The federal operation has also spilled into private spaces. On Jan. 5, ICE publicly accused a Lakeville Hampton Inn of refusing to house federal agents, an allegation that drew national attention before its corporate parent, Hilton, said the decision was inconsistent with company policy and dropped the hotel from its franchises.

We’re following reports of individual incidents, as well as providing broader context about the enforcement effort. Email tips to whistleblower@startribune.com.