For immediate release: May 19, 2026
Contact: media@hispanicfederation.org
More than 3/4 of people detained during Operation Metro Surge had no criminal convictions, report calls on Congress and federal agencies to investigate
PAUL, MN– Today, People’s Record: A Report on the People’s Hearings on Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota was published to document the unconstitutional conduct, unlawful detentions, and widespread civil rights violations that took place during Operation Metro Surge. The People’s Record draws from testimony given by 28 speakers at a March 10 hearing in St. Paul, MN.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who opened the hearing, called the operation an “the single largest deployment of federal [DHS] immigration agents in our history” and framed the stakes clearly: “No one in our country, no matter where you are born, is beneath the protection of the law. Your testimony is an important step toward our ability to heal and our ability to seek accountability, justice, and better protection for our civil rights.”
Operation Metro Surge deployed approximately 4,000 federal agents across the state and was the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Over 100 days, the operation resulted in nearly 4,000 arrests – including children as young as two years old who were booked into family detention centers – and a sustained presence of armed and masked agents in neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and public spaces. The report found that, among the thousands arrested during the surge, more than 3/4 of those arrested had no prior criminal convictions. Furthermore, immigration enforcement arrests of people with no criminal record surged nationwide by 2,450% in 2025.
Local organizations in Minnesota played an essential role in shaping the focus of the hearing, convening affected communities, and providing testimony. These groups included CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio), Immigration Defense Network, Unidos Minnesota and its Monarca project, COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina) and many more.
“The Metro Surge operations in Minnesota left thousands of immigrant families living through fear, trauma, and deep uncertainty. Documenting these experiences has become a human rights duty. The impunity with which agents acted, and the harm caused to families—particularly children—cannot be forgotten or normalized. Unfortunately, this is not the first time in the history of the United States that immigrant and other communities have faced abuses of power, and I fear it will not be the last unless we continue demanding accountability, transparency, and respect for human dignity,” said Francisco Segovia, Executive Director of COPAL MN.
“What emerged during Operation Metro Surge was one of the largest community defense mobilizations our region has seen. The Immigrant Defense Network trained over 35,000 constitutional observers across 30 cities throughout the Upper Midwest, creating a rapid-response infrastructure rooted in documentation, accompaniment, and protection of constitutional rights. At a moment when many communities felt abandoned and afraid, ordinary people stepped forward to defend dignity, accountability, and the fundamental rights of their neighbors,” said Edwin Torres DeSantiago, Immigrant Defense Network.
“Operation Metro Surge tried to divide and isolate Minnesotans. Project Monarca answered with 50,000 people and a broad coalition and proved that we have the power to make the impossible possible. For weeks, masked federal agents moved through Minnesota neighborhoods. They pulled parents from driveways, surrounded workplaces before dawn, followed children home from school. But Minnesotans absorbed a fear meant to divide us. We fed one another, drove neighbors to work, sat together through long nights, and turned grief into organization. That is the people power Metro Surge met and lost to. Justice for Minnesota will be served in courtrooms, case after case, with families accompanied by organized neighbors, faith leaders, and lawyers who stay long after the hearing ends. Every court date is a venue where accountability is won or surrendered. Unidos MN will continue to be present every step of the way, organizing and seeking justice for our communities,” said Emilia González Ávalos, Executive Director, Unidos MN.
“The People’s Record is a powerful testament to the courage and resilience of Minnesota’s immigrant communities. At a time when so many families have experienced fear and uncertainty, this report ensures their voices are heard, and their experiences are documented with dignity and truth. We hope it serves as both a call for accountability and a catalyst for meaningful action to protect the rights, safety, and humanity of all our communities,” said Liliana Letrán-García, President & CEO, CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio).
This first of its kind People’s Hearing on Immigration Enforcement was organized and sponsored by Hispanic Federation, Miranda Family, Latino Victory Foundation, and Texas Civil Rights Project. It was moderated by Rochelle Garza, Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
“When federal agents are given free rein to harass and target people without any accountability for their actions, our communities suffer greatly. I commend the brave people who stood against aggressive federal operations in Minnesota to support their neighbors, and I appreciate the strength of the people who shared their experiences from Operation Metro Surge during the hearing in the hopes of stopping this unfettered power. Unleashing federal agents under the guise of immigration enforcement to control and torment communities is abhorrent and unconstitutional. Hispanic Federation will continue to call on Congress to implement oversight and accountability for the actions of federal agents and stand up for the rights and freedoms of all people living in our nation,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.
“This report cements the truth of ICE enforcement in Minnesota. It challenges us to confront the lives lost, the families torn apart, and the economic costs of a federal agency disappearing community members. With harrowing testimony and meaningful recommendations straight from courageous Minnesotans themselves, the People’s Record adds to the public demand for ICE accountability,” said Rochelle Garza, Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
“We all saw and read stories in the media about the horrors that happened when 4,000 ICE agents invaded a small community to intimidate local residents. But what we heard, firsthand at the hearing in Minnesota, are powerful, unimaginable stories that never made it to the media. We must make sure that those testimonies are documented and preserved for the public record. Today marks a bold step in the pursuit of justice and accountability, as we call on Congress and Federal agencies to examine this report. I now look forward to hearing the testimonies of people impacted by ICE enforcement in Chicago and Los Angeles, and compiling reports, each of which will contribute essential context for the full scope of what has been going on, and a tough discussion that we must have regarding the future of ICE as we know it, and the weaponization of this agency by the Trump Administration to terrorize civilians,” said Luis Miranda, head of the Miranda Family Fund.
Seven Key Recommendations
The report identifies important findings — from due process violations and racial profiling to the effective disappearance of detainees and the deaths of two U.S. citizens — and calls on Congress and federal agencies to take seven urgent actions in response.
- Conduct a full and independent investigation into Operation Metro Surge
- Establish independent oversight and public reporting requirements for enforcement operations
- Protect the constitutional rights of both targeted individuals and observers
- Strengthen due process protections and establish reliable tracking systems for detainees
- Reform detention practices and fully enforce existing standards
- Limit the use of interstate transfers
- Invest in community recovery to address the broad economic and mental health impacts on families and local economies.
The report features testimony from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Saint Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, Columbia Heights Mayor Amada Marquez Simula, Saint Paul City Council member Molly Coleman, Saint Paul City Council Vice President HwaJeong Kim
The full report and hearing transcript are available at hispanicfederation.org. The hearing remains publicly accessible at hispfed.info/MNforum.
###
About Hispanic Federation
Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized, and immigrant communities. With programs in 43 states and territories, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
