Hundreds of immigrant-rights activists hit the streets of Minneapolis again on Sunday, calling for an end to federal immigration enforcement operations and demanding accountability after recent deadly encounters between officers and local residents. Organizers described the march as one more step in a long-running push to protect families, keep pressure on elected leaders and prod the city to bolster sanctuary protections for immigrant communities.
The action, organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), wound through parts of the downtown core, with local television crews capturing marchers carrying signs and chanting, according to FOX 9. Organizers told the station the event was designed to keep public attention on the human cost of the enforcement campaign while officials hash out what comes next.
Federal Drawdown, Local Skepticism
The march followed White House border czar Tom Homan’s announcement that the months-long Operation Metro Surge would be wound down. He said a “significant drawdown” of personnel was already underway and that he had proposed ending the surge. The Associated Press reported that Homan added a small residual force would stay on for a limited time to wrap up operations, a plan city officials greeted with cautious relief rather than full-on celebration.
Surge’s Toll on the City
Federal authorities say the operation brought thousands of officers into the region and resulted in more than 4,000 arrests. Local leaders and nonprofit advocates point to what they describe as a far higher price, measured in lost wages, shuttered small-business revenue and added public spending. A preliminary city assessment cited by Newsweek pegged initial damages at roughly $203 million, a figure that helps explain why many residents and merchants say economic recovery could take months or even years.
Why Protesters Say They’re Not Done
Sunday’s march followed weeks of coordinated actions, ranging from large rallies to economic “ICE Out” days that urged people to withhold their spending. Organizers say those efforts forced the issue into the open and helped build broader civic support for immigrant communities. Coverage of earlier citywide demonstrations and organized shutdown days documented thousands of people joining similar protests in recent weeks, according to Sahan Journal. MIRAC leaders told reporters they intend to keep the pressure on until they see concrete policy changes and what they consider meaningful accountability.
Investigations and Legal Fallout
Unresolved legal and investigative questions are driving much of the continued activism. Federal reviews are in progress into multiple fatal encounters that occurred during the surge, and the Department of Justice has opened civil-rights inquiries tied to at least one of the recent shootings, according to reporting by The Washington Post. Protesters argue that a partial pullback of agents without independent findings and remedies would leave communities vulnerable and further erode public trust.
For now, demonstrators and community groups say Sunday’s turnout shows that even as some agents begin to leave, Minneapolis’ immigrant-rights network plans to keep rallies, legal advocacy and mutual-aid efforts on the front line until officials deliver tangible relief, clear accountability and stronger local protections.
