Since federal immigration officials began “Operation Metro Surge” in December, protesters have gathered around, and in some cases, interfered with, federal immigration operations, but arrests of unruly protesters have been limited.
While the First Amendment protects the freedom to protest peacefully, violent protests and obstruction of federal law enforcement operations are not protected activities and are generally illegal. Despite the number of clashes between federal immigration operations and unruly protesters, arrests have largely been conducted by federal agencies, not by state or local law enforcement, with the Minneapolis Police Department not reporting any surges in arrests.
Arrests by Minneapolis police down compared to time prior to operation
Since Operation Metro Surge was announced on Dec. 1, 2025, the Minneapolis Police Department reported fewer arrests and crimes than during the two-month period prior to the operation. The number of arrests during the same period last year was generally the same, and in some cases, arrests and crimes were lower this year.
Arrest data from the Minneapolis Police Department shows the number of “part I” arrests, which are for serious crimes, from Dec. 1, 2025, through midday Jan. 28, 2026, was 203, along with 550 “part II” arrests, which are for less serious crimes, including vandalism and simple assault. For the entirety of October and November, there were 299 “part I” arrests and 751 “part II” arrests reported by the police department, and from Dec. 1, 2024, to Jan. 28, 2025, there were 255 “part I” arrests and 509 “part II” arrests reported during that time.
Crime data from the police department also shows fewer property damage and vandalism crimes during Operation Metro Surge. There have been 839 crimes, compared to 1,453 in all of October and November and 1,048 from Dec. 1, 2024, to Jan. 28, 2025. The number of reported assaults since the operation began is lower than in October and November, but slightly higher than the same time period a year ago.
Minneapolis has been the epicenter of the protests for Operation Metro Surge, with both shootings involving federal law enforcement and protesters happening within the city limits. In both instances, the unruly protesters were killed by gunshots after confrontations with law enforcement.
Local officials have shown open hostility to federal immigration operations, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey resisting efforts to cooperate and telling ICE to leave the city.
Unruly protests in Minneapolis suburb led to arrests
There have been some high-profile, unlawful protests that have led to arrests outside of Minneapolis itself, including arrests this week of 26 protesters who gathered outside the SpringHill Suites in Maple Grove, Minnesota, thinking federal immigration officials were staying at the hotel.
The Maple Grove Police Department announced Tuesday that 13 of the people arrested were charged with gross misdemeanor riot charges, while the other 13 were charged with misdemeanor unlawful assembly. The police department also said two of the 26 arrested also faced charges for obstructing the legal process.
“The protest was declared an unlawful assembly after property damage and violence occurred, making the activity no longer protected under the First Amendment. Dispersal orders were issued, and individuals were given clear instructions and ample opportunity to leave,” the police department said in a press release.
Another high-profile, mass arrest of protesters by a police department came earlier this month when law enforcement at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport arrested 99 people for a protest that went beyond permitted activities.
The protesters held a sign that said “every city, every town, ICE out, shut it down,” and were hit with misdemeanor charges, accused of trespassing and not obeying law enforcement orders, according to Minnesota television station KSTP.
Federal law enforcement has arrested several unruly protesters
While arrests by state and local officials have been relatively low compared to the prevalence of unruly protests across the Twin Cities since Operation Metro Surge began, federal officials have announced several high-profile arrests for obstructing federal operations.
The Department of Homeland Security claims it has arrested more than 3,000 illegal immigrants since the operation began at the beginning of last month, but many unruly protesters have also been arrested during that span.
The Justice Department arrested a trio of protesters who stormed a church service in St. Paul, and reportedly has attempted to arrest five others for their alleged roles in the incident. Those arrested and charged included Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced additional arrests in Minnesota on Wednesday, charging 16 people with assaulting federal law enforcement officers, and vowing that additional arrests would be announced in the future.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law,” Bondi said.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 28, 2026
The arrested individuals are: Christina Rank, Abdikadir Noor, Madeline Tschida, Nitzana Flores, Helicity Borowska, Quentin Williams, William Vermie, Paul Johnson, Gillian Etherington, Joshua Doyle, Kirubele Adbebe, Margaret Sager, Ilan Wilson-Soler, Nasra Ahmed, Alice Valentine, and Matrim Charlebois.
FACT CHECK: WALZ MAKES MISLEADING CLAIM THAT MINNESOTA IS COOPERATING WITH ICE
While tensions have remained high in the Twin Cities for much of the month, President Donald Trump and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) have expressed a desire to lower the temperature and find an offramp from ongoing unrest. Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to meet with state and local officials about a potential offramp.
The Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge is at risk of being halted as a federal judge weighs Minnesota’s bid to end it. During a hearing on Monday, a federal judge appeared skeptical of the state’s request to end Operation Metro Surge and asked the federal government for additional briefing by Wednesday.