At a Glance
- 3,000 federal agents now patrol Minneapolis neighborhoods after the ICE shooting of Renee Good.
- Residents report door-to-door citizenship checks, broken car windows, and chemical sprays during arrests.
- Mayor Jacob Frey says the city has only 600 local officers to counter the federal presence.
- Why it matters: Community members describe living under what they call an “invasion” with no signs of de-escalation.
Federal immigration agents have transformed parts of Minneapolis into what residents describe as an occupied zone following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, by an ICE officer. The operation, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, has brought an unprecedented 3,000 federal agents into the city, overwhelming local resources and heightening tensions in a community still scarred by George Floyd’s 2020 murder.
Scale Exceeds Other Cities
The current deployment dwarfs immigration operations recently conducted in larger cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Charlotte. Unlike typical targeted enforcement, agents are conducting broad sweeps through diverse neighborhoods including Lake Street, Uptown, and Powderhorn.
Residents report:
- Unmarked vehicles idling on residential streets
- Door-to-door citizenship inquiries by masked officers
- Operations inside retail locations including a Target in nearby Richfield
- Daily confrontations within blocks of Good’s memorial site
Escalating Tactics
Videos captured by residents show aggressive arrest methods. Footage provided to News Of Los Angeles reveals agents smashing car windows and deploying chemical sprays at point-blank range. One video shows an officer shooting red chemicals into a woman’s face as she stood in front of his vehicle.
A restaurant owner, who temporarily closed her business to protect immigrant employees, described the atmosphere: “It feels like an invasion… very much like a Nazi Germany situation.”
Local Response
Mayor Jacob Frey addressed the impossible position facing the city, noting the stark disparity between federal forces and local capabilities.
“We are trying to find a way forward to keep people safe, to protect our neighbors, to protect order,” Frey said at a news conference. He warned protesters against “taking the bait” while acknowledging the city has only 600 police officers compared to the 3,000 federal agents present.
Community Resistance
The federal presence has spawned immediate community response. Horns and whistles alert neighbors to agent locations. At busy intersections like Karmel Mall, residents wear warning whistles and monitor for enforcement activity.
Mark, a Bryant Central neighborhood resident, believes the intensity reflects political retribution: “I truly feel Minnesota is being targeted because of who we voted for.” He described being surrounded by officers while trying to return home, his phone confiscated for 15 minutes.
Detention Conditions
One arrested resident described overcrowding at the Whipple Building’s ICE facility, claiming more than 20 people were crammed into cells designed for five. The person, arrested after agents broke their car windows and pepper-sprayed occupants, requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation.
Political Implications
Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed the door-to-door approach on Fox News, stating agents would ensure “if you’re an illegal alien, you’ve got to get out of this country.” He previously suggested the ICE officer who shot Good would have “absolute immunity.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated President Trump is considering invoking the Insurrection Act if Governor Walz doesn’t change course. “If anything doesn’t change… I don’t anticipate that the streets will get any safer or more peaceful,” she said.
The Minneapolis city government posted on X: “The City of Minneapolis again demands that ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand by our immigrant and refugee communities – know that you have our full support.”
Key Takeaways
- Federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis has expanded beyond targeted deportations to include door-to-door citizenship checks
- The 3,000-agent deployment represents an unprecedented federal law enforcement presence in the city
- Community members report aggressive arrest tactics including property destruction and chemical deployment
- Local officials claim insufficient resources to monitor or counter federal operations
- The situation shows no signs of de-escalation nearly two weeks after Renee Good’s death
