Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday detailed Abuses suffered by communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul – two cities in the US state of Minnesota – during the occupation of the area by immigration officials. According to HRW, officials terrorized residents, committed widespread human rights abuses and exposed “deeply abusive” tendencies at U.S. immigration enforcement.
The statement accompanied their recent report: “An artificial crisis“, an in-depth analysis of the atrocities committed by federal agents in the cities between December 2025 and March 2026 – the duration of their deployment in Minnesota.
HRW found that federal and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents created widespread fear and anxiety while conducting racial profiling, threatening residents with deadly force, using chemical irritants, destroying property, and fatally shooting two U.S. citizens while campaigning.
“The federal government sent hordes of masked, armed agents to snatch people off the streets, take them away in shackles and abuse those who sought to bear witness,” said Reagan Williams, HRW conflict and crises researcher.
Called “Operation Metro Surge“The deployment of ICE agents in Minnesota was part of President Donald Trump’s broader controversial immigration enforcement Scheme This was the largest deployment of immigration agents into the interior of the country since he took office in January 2025. From that point on, President Trump has deployed ICE agents Cities in the USA, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) specified that the purpose of the federal operation was to “ensure the safety of Americans and root out fraud,” and claimed they would not leave the city until they accomplished the agency’s objective. However, the HRW report shows that the occupation had the opposite effect, causing widespread fear and terror.
Throughout his term in office, President Trump has made his views clear Intention to enforce tougher mass deportation measures and stricter immigration measures, often stating that he would primarily target non-citizens with criminal histories. However, HRW found that ICE officers arrested about 4,000 immigrants in Minnesota during the election campaign, more than 75% of whom had no criminal record or were arbitrarily detained.
Although the Trump administration has officially concluded Operation Metro Surge, its effects will continue to reverberate across the state of Minnesota for many years to come. The city of Minneapolis has budgeted nearly $700 million Impact on the communityresulting from property damage, residents’ inability to go to work, and food and shelter needs. Additionally, the Trump administration is prosecuting Minnesota residents and government officer on separate charges related to obstructing federal agents during the raids.
The HRW report calls for “urgent and comprehensive” action to redress the harms suffered in Minnesota and calls on the federal government to stop its mistreatment of immigrants and other U.S. citizens.
“Operation Metro Surge has clearly exposed the violent and abusive practices of these authorities. We have clear evidence of how they operate when impunity prevails, and we urgently need to find a new path forward through accountability and structural reforms that end these abuses,” Williams added.
