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According to federal officials, approximately 4,000 individuals were arrested during the operation.
Homan declared Thursday that the mission had accomplished its primary objectives.
“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said.
The statement was carefully worded but unmistakable. Federal authorities believe they made Minneapolis safer.
Frey, however, did not frame it that way.
Instead of crediting federal enforcement, the mayor praised local activism.
“They are the defenders of this great republic in this moment,” Frey said, referring to Minneapolis residents.
“They are everything that it means to be American.”
The mayor specifically highlighted residents who protested, delivered food to families afraid to leave home, and publicly opposed ICE operations.
For critics of sanctuary policies, that response was telling.
Sanctuary Policies Under Scrutiny
Minneapolis has long branded itself a sanctuary city, limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Critics argue that those policies made federal intervention inevitable.
ICE officials have repeatedly stated they prefer to coordinate with local jails, picking up individuals already in custody for other violations. When cities restrict that cooperation, agents must conduct field operations instead.
Supporters of Operation Metro Surge say the scale of arrests demonstrates the scope of the problem.
Four thousand arrests is not a symbolic number. It represents thousands of individuals who, according to federal authorities, had no legal right to remain in the country.
Yet Frey’s public remarks focused less on the arrests and more on the protests.
“Both my hope and my expectation is that this operation will be drawn down in the very near future,” Frey said.
“And simultaneously, like I said, we’ll believe it when I see it.”
There was no direct acknowledgment that public safety may have improved.
Shootings Shifted The Narrative
The operation was not without controversy. Two separate shooting incidents involving federal agents intensified political tensions.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the operation as an “unprecedented invasion.”
The rhetoric fueled protests and amplified national attention.
In response to the backlash, President Donald Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis in late January to oversee the effort directly.
Now, with the drawdown underway, federal personnel will gradually withdraw. However, officials have indicated that investigations into individuals who obstructed federal enforcement will continue.
Economic Fallout And Blame Game
During the six-week operation, local businesses reported significant slowdowns. Some restaurants cited sales drops between 50 percent and 80 percent. Several schools temporarily shifted to remote learning as attendance declined.
Governor Walz and city leaders attributed much of the disruption to the federal presence.
Frey described the operation as “catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses.”
Supporters of the crackdown counter that economic disruption stemmed from political messaging that heightened fear and uncertainty.
The deeper question remains unresolved: Would such a large-scale federal intervention have been necessary if local officials had cooperated with ICE from the beginning?
A Stark Contrast In Priorities
As Operation Metro Surge concludes, the contrast in messaging could not be clearer.
Federal officials say they reduced criminal threats and restored enforcement of immigration law.
The mayor of Minneapolis is withholding judgment.
“If you’re looking for anybody to give credit to for the end of Operation Metro Surge – for the pressure that was put on the federal government – give it to the 435,000 Minneapolis residents,” Frey said.
Not federal agents. Not the administration directing the operation.
The residents.
For conservatives, the episode underscores a broader debate playing out across the country: Should local governments shield illegal immigrants from federal enforcement, or cooperate to remove those with criminal records?
In Minneapolis, at least for now, that debate is far from over.
And even as agents pack up and prepare to leave, the political battle over what just happened is only beginning.
