In a significant escalation of immigration enforcement, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has initiated what it terms its "largest immigration operation ever" in the city of Minneapolis. The announcement was made by Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Scope and Objectives of the Major Crackdown
Acting Director Lyons stated that this extensive operation is being conducted under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The primary goals are threefold: to tackle immigration-related fraud, arrest individuals responsible for such crimes, and ultimately remove criminal illegal aliens from the Minneapolis area. The operation signifies a major surge in federal law enforcement activity in the region.
Reports indicate the operation involves a substantial increase in personnel and resources, orchestrated under the leadership of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. This move underscores the federal government's intensified focus on interior immigration enforcement, particularly targeting individuals who have committed crimes beyond their immigration status violations.
Context of Community Response and Climate
This high-profile operation follows recent public demonstrations in Minneapolis against ICE's presence. On December 20, 2025, protesters braved frigid temperatures near 10 degrees Fahrenheit to march in a neighborhood with significant Somali, Latino, and Hispanic immigrant communities. The rally, dubbed "MN Love Our Immigrant Neighbors - ICE Out of MN," explicitly called for the removal of ICE from Minnesota, highlighting the deep community tensions surrounding immigration enforcement.
The timing and scale of this new ICE operation are likely to reignite debates over immigration policy, community policing, and the role of federal agencies in cities with large immigrant populations.
What Happens Next?
As this is a developing story, the full impact and specific details of the operation's arrests and removals are yet to be disclosed. The announcement marks the beginning of a potentially prolonged enforcement action. Observers and community advocates are closely monitoring the situation for updates on the number of individuals detained, the specific crimes targeted, and the operation's duration.
The development places Minneapolis at the centre of the national immigration enforcement conversation, setting a precedent for the scale of such operations under the current administration. The outcomes here may influence similar actions in other cities across the United States.
