Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in St. Paul for reported 30-day surge

ST. PAUL, Minn. — “GOOD MORNING MINNEAPOLIS!” wrote the Department of Homeland Security on its social media feed on X Tuesday morning as the Trump administration continued deploying upwards of 2,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities — all part of a 30-day surge that seeks to escalate a federal immigration crackdown and growing fraud investigations, according to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News.

Another social media post showed footage of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem personally accompanying heavily armed agents into a Payne Avenue business in St. Paul and detaining a man they identified as an Ecuadorian national wanted for murder and sexual assault.

CBS said the month-long deployment will involve agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation branch, as well as Homeland Security Investigations, the agency’s investigative arm tasked with fighting transnational crimes. The law enforcement sources were unnamed in the report, according to CBS News, because they requested anonymity to discuss operations that have not been publicly announced.

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations are expected to investigate alleged cases of housing, daycare and Medicaid fraud, building on last month’s inspection of dozens of sites in and around Minneapolis, according to the news agency, which said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino will help lead immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities alongside an unknown number of U.S. Border Patrol officers. Bovino has overseen immigration roundups in Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel last month had announced an increase in operations in Minnesota. Last week Noem posted on social media that officers were “conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud.” Patel said the intent was to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”

The new Twin Cities deployment would represent one of the largest concentrations of DHS personnel in an American city in recent years. Tactical units known as Special Response Teams are also expected to be part of the operation, which could grow larger as officers rotate through over the next 30 days.

In Illinois, the monthslong deployment dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz” has cost taxpayers $59 million, according to estimates compiled by the Chicago Tribune. Federal officials have long said they’re targeting “the worst of the worst,” but CBS Chicago reported last month that government data shows only 15% of those detained in Operation Midway Blitz had prior criminal convictions, and only 3% had prior convictions for acts of violence.

The new surge, said CBS, comes amid intense state and federal scrutiny of Minnesota following years of high-profile fraud cases involving federally funded programs. They have included some of the largest pandemic-era and post-pandemic fraud schemes in the country, like the Feeding Our Future case, which led to dozens of indictments and convictions. Federal prosecutors allege that half or more of the $18 billion in federal funds that have supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen.

The deployment, which began Sunday, will make the Twin Cities the first major immigration enforcement target in the New Year. It’s been met with growing resistance from protesters, elected officials and some business owners.

Hotel rooms canceled, observers gathering

On Monday, under the title “No Room at the Inn!,” the Department of Homeland Security shared at least four social media posts on X claiming that a Hilton-branded hotel had canceled reservations for officers who had attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates.

Hilton later apologized for the cancellations, which it described as the independent actions of a Hampton Inn Lakeville franchise, noting on social media Monday night: “This hotel is independently owned and operated, and these actions were not reflective of Hilton values. We have been in direct contact with the hotel and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies. … Hilton’s position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”

In St. Paul, some bars and restaurants have posted signs saying, “Federal Agents Not Permitted on Premises. ICE, DEA, ATF or any other agent or agency may not enter or park or stage immigration operations on this property.” The advocacy group Unidos MN was scheduled to host a press conference Tuesday outside of Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis to highlight “the urgent need for hospitals and other institutions to adopt clear protocols that protect patient rights and safety as ICE presence increases in Minnesota.”

Elsewhere, groups of self-identified “constitutional observers” have sought to document ICE actions.

State Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, DFL-St. Paul, circulated video on Monday of ICE agents conducting a Jan. 3 operation on the city’s West Side.

Perez-Vega said constitutional observers were gathered in the parking lot of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Concord Street, where they positioned themselves “to ensure community members in the area were informed of their rights. … Despite observers maintaining a clear and safe distance, one observer was pepper-sprayed by an agent. … The use of force appeared unnecessary given the non-confrontational and lawful behavior of those present.”

West Side organizations including Neighborhood House, the West Side Boosters, the West Side Community Organization, the Immigrant Defense Network and the office of St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker are hosting a constitutional observer training next week at the Wellstone Center.

Some officials have promised legal resistance. Speaking at her swearing-in ceremony last Friday, new St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her said she was ready to work with the St. Paul City Council on ordinances intended to oppose aggressive sweeps by ICE.

“From cutting funding to our city or targeting our neighbors, we are facing an unprecedented incursion that we must meet head on,” said Her, who said she plans to ban ICE from staging in the city’s parks and public spaces, and from wearing complete mask coverings that obscure identity.

“One thing we know about this administration is that they won’t play by the rules, but it is important we stand up for our neighbors and set those rules first,” the mayor said. “Let’s not forget who is the aggressor here, who is the one tearing families apart. … I am determined not to allow this federal administration to turn us against each other.”

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