>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
Minnesota had become synonymous with corruption scandals and sanctuary-style policies. Federal prosecutors had already uncovered staggering fraud tied to the Feeding Our Future scheme. Seventy-eight defendants were charged in a plot that prosecutors say siphoned off enormous sums meant to feed children during the pandemic.
Aimee Bock and Salim Said were convicted after falsely claiming they served 91 million meals. Instead of helping families, prosecutors said the money funded luxury purchases, foreign transfers, and lavish lifestyles.
U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson did not mince words. He described Minnesota as “a national poster child for public corruption” engaged in “industrial-scale fraud.”
Against that backdrop, federal agents flooded the region.
Within weeks, roughly 4,000 arrests were made, including individuals accused of serious violent crimes. The message was unmistakable: the federal government was no longer willing to tolerate lawlessness in a so-called sanctuary state.
A Strategic Shift, Not a Surrender
When Homan announced that 700 agents had already departed and that thousands more would follow, critics feared momentum was being lost.
Homan addressed those fears directly.
“For those who say we are backing down from immigration enforcement or the promise of mass deportations, you are simply wrong,” Homan said Thursday.
Rather than conducting highly visible sweeps, Homan pivoted to a quieter and arguably more effective strategy. He emphasized coordination with local law enforcement and jail officials.
“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said, crediting “unprecedented levels of coordination” with state jails and local officials.
That cooperation changes the game.
Instead of large-scale street raids that trigger protests and media frenzy, local jails now notify ICE when criminal aliens are scheduled for release. Agents can take custody directly and efficiently.
No spectacle. No chaos. Just enforcement.
The Fraud Investigators Stay
The most important development, however, was not about deportations at all.
It was about the money.
Homan made clear that the personnel handling fraud investigations are not leaving.
“Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said.
Fraud cases of this magnitude take time. The Feeding Our Future prosecution began years ago and expanded gradually as investigators followed complex money trails. These cases involve shell corporations, falsified records, international wire transfers, and intricate networks.
Thompson previously warned that such investigations are “time-consuming” and will “extend for quite some time.”
In other words, this was never a ten-week operation.
The surge force focused on public safety and immigration enforcement. The fraud teams focus on tracing every dollar and building airtight cases.
Those teams are staying.
A Quiet Win for Enforcement
Governor Tim Walz has publicly claimed he “didn’t give up anything as part of a deal to end the operation.”
Formally, there may be no signed document.
But practically speaking, Minnesota shifted from resistance to cooperation. County jails now coordinate with ICE. Federal agents maintain lines of communication with state officials. The political optics may allow Democrats to declare victory, but the enforcement infrastructure remains intact.
And Homan made clear that federal presence can return if needed.
“Over 800 flights a day land in St. Paul, Minnesota; if we need to come back, we’ll come back,” Homan said.
That is not a retreat. That is leverage.
The Bottom Line
Operation Metro Surge delivered thousands of arrests and reshaped how Minnesota interacts with federal immigration authorities. The surge phase may be ending, but the enforcement architecture remains.
Most importantly, the fraud investigators are still on the ground, digging through financial records and preparing future indictments.
Critics saw agents leaving and assumed surrender.
Homan offered a different reality: the visible surge was temporary. The long game continues.
And as he put it, the investigators remain “until the work is done.”
