Minnesotans opposed Operation Metro Surge by a wide margin, most said it made communities less safe
The first statewide probability survey on Operation Metro Surge finds 54% of Minnesotans opposed it, and 1 in 3 worried someone close could be arrested.
By Craig Helmstetter
As Operation Metro Surge winds down, Minnesotans are assessing the impact of some 3,000 federal immigration agents who started arriving in the state in December 2025. The White House has claimed success, citing more than 4,000 arrests and increased public safety.
The presence of federal agents sparked pushback from the start, and opposition intensified nationwide after agents shot and killed two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Minnesotans mobilized support networks and organized large-scale protests. Yet vocal opposition does not always reflect Minnesota’s diversity of views.
A new Minnesota Community Survey from Lumaris Research, conducted Jan. 22 to Feb. 12, is the first probability-based survey – the type that uses a random sample of a population – to measure statewide views of Operation Metro Surge. The poll of 1,072 Minnesota adults found:
