Attorney General Ellison and cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul update Metro Surge lawsuit with new data showing harm caused by surge

Experts estimate that over $240 million in wages were lost in Minneapolis and Saint Paul alone during Operation Metro Surge 

Survey data shows Minneapolis and Saint Paul businesses lost over $600 million in revenue during Operation Metro Surge 

Survey data also shows clear racial bias in DHS actions 

April 21, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) —  Yesterday evening, Attorney General Keith Ellison, on behalf of the state of Minnesota, and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, filed an amended version of their federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and related agencies and officials alleging that Operation Metro Surge violated the law and the Constitution and asking the court to declare the unprecedented surge of DHS agents into the state unconstitutional and unlawful. 

The amended complaint incorporates new information about the severe harm Operation Metro Surge inflicted on the state of Minnesota, cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the people of Minnesota, and Minnesota businesses. That information includes survey data illustrating the extreme racial bias in DHS’ enforcement actions and tactics, estimates that Minneapolis and Saint Paul residents lost over $240 million in wages during the Operation Metro Surge, and data showing businesses in Minneapolis and Saint Paul lost over $600 million in revenue during the surge of DHS agents into Minnesota. These surveys, conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego, are exhibits to the amended complaint filed yesterday evening. 

“During the unlawful Operation Metro Surge, DHS agents took the lives of two Minnesotans and caused severe harm to countless more residents of our state, to cities like Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and to the state of Minnesota itself,” said Attorney General Ellison. “More and more data on exactly how harmful the surge was to Minnesota residents, workers, and businesses keeps coming in, so we are adding that information to our lawsuit against DHS. We are fighting to have Operation Metro Surge declared unlawful to protect Minnesota from ever having to endure another violent, painful, and destructive federal occupation again.” 

“Operation Metro Surge dealt a serious blow to Saint Paul’s economy,” said Saint Paul Mayor Kaohly Her. “I remain committed to fighting for our communities: advocating, rebuilding, and directing resources toward recovery wherever they’re needed most. Many businesses, especially in communities of color, are still grappling with the lasting impacts of the Trump administration’s actions. No community should have to endure what ours has faced. This new information brings sharper clarity to the scale of the damage and strengthens our resolve to move forward.” 

“Operation Metro Surge should never have happened,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “It wasn’t public safety—it was chaos. Neighbors felt it, small businesses paid the price, and everyday life was put on hold. But Minneapolis won’t back down. We’re challenging this operation in court, and today’s filing only strengthens our case.” 

The lawsuit seeks to have Operation Metro Surge declared unlawful to ensure similar violence and harm are not inflicted on another state or on Minnesota once again. It also seeks to protect Minnesota from further unlawful DHS enforcement policies, including, a policy allowing DHS agents to wear masks, the illegal arrest and seizure policies behind DHS’s racial profiling and rampant unlawful seizures of Plaintiffs’ residents, and the unlawful roving patrol policy that sent swarms of ICE and CBP agents into the streets of Minneapolis and Saint Paul to harass Plaintiffs’ residents.  

New Survey Data on Individuals

Between February 17, 2026, and March 6, 2026, the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at the University of California San Diego conducted surveys of residents aged 18 and older in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The surveys had 1390 respondents collectively (728 in Minneapolis, 662 in Saint Paul), roughly 25% of whom had interactions with DHS agents during Metro Surge. Survey results illustrate the multitude of ways Metro Surge harmed the people of Minnesota, as well as the State of Minnesota itself and cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. 

$240 million in lost wages 

USIPC found that: 

• In Minneapolis, respondents who had an encounter with DHS agents were 39.6% more likely to have missed work than respondents who did not. 
• In Saint Paul, respondents who had an encounter with DHS agents were 26.8% more likely to have missed work than respondents who did not. 

As a result of these missed wages, the USIPC has estimated that Operation Metro Surge resulted in more than $240 million in lost wages:

• $189.2 million in lost wages for Minneapolis residents, 
• and $54.6 million in lost wages for Saint Paul residents. 

Missing healthcare 

Delaying or skipping necessary medical care can lead to conditions worsening and requiring more complicated, risky, or expensive treatments. If the medical condition requiring treatment was contagious, delayed treatment can risk the illness spreading and causing further harm.  

Survey data shows that encounters with DHS agents made Minnesotans significantly more likely to miss medical appointments or avoid medical care.  

• In Minneapolis, 62% of respondents who encountered federal immigration agents during Operation Metro Surge who had a medical appointment missed an appointment, compared to 12.8% who did not encounter DHS agents.  
• In Saint Paul, 49.5% of respondents who interacted with federal immigration agents who had a medical appointment missed an appointment, compared to 13.7% who did not encounter DHS agents.  

Furthermore, 66.2% of respondents in Minneapolis who interacted with federal agents during Operation Metro Surge who had a medical issue that required urgent or hospital care avoided getting that care, compared to 17.7% who did not report an interaction. USIPC’s survey data once again shows that Operation Metro Surge caused substantial harm to plaintiffs. 

Racial bias 

USIPC’s survey data shows that residents of Minneapolis were the victims of significant racial bias during Metro Surge.  

• In Minneapolis, people of color were: 
  • 32.6% more likely than white respondents to be questioned about their race, ethnicity, national origin,  
  • 27.9% more likely to be questioned immigration or citizenship,  
  • 25.2% more likely to be distrusted by DHS agents despite showing ID,  
  • and 15.2% more likely to be stopped on the street by DHS agents.  
• Respondents of color in Minneapolis were also 22.9% more likely than white respondents to have missed work due to fear for their safety during Operation Metro Surge. 

Warrants 

• In Minneapolis, among those who reported having at least one interaction with federal immigration enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge, 73.1% said that federal immigration enforcement agents did not show them an administrative or judicial warrant.  
  • 22.7% said when that federal immigration enforcement agents asked to enter their home and they said no, federal agents entered anyway.  
• In Saint Paul, among those who reported having at least one interaction with federal immigration enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge, 90.9% said that federal immigration enforcement agents did not show them an administrative or judicial warrant.  
  • 12.9% said that when federal immigration enforcement agents asked to enter their home and they said no, federal agents entered anyway. 

Less trust in policing 

The less trust there is between police and the communities they serve, the fewer people there are who come forward to share information with law enforcement that may be necessary to solve a particular crime or catch an offender. Survey results show that respondents who had an encounter with DHS agents during Operation Metro Surge are significantly less likely to trust law enforcement agents, to seek help from law enforcement agents, and to obey the commands of law enforcement agents compared to respondents who did not have an encounter with DHS agents. This loss in trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve illustrates some of the harm that DHS agents have caused to the plaintiffs in this lawsuit. 

USIPC found that: 

• 70.5% of Minneapolis residents who had an encounter with DHS agents reported they are less likely to seek help from law enforcement in the future. 
• 65.6% of Saint Paul residents who had an encounter with DHS agents reported they are less likely to seek help from law enforcement in the future. 

These results indicate it will be more difficult for law enforcement to catch lawbreakers, which in turn harms public safety. 

USIPC also found that: 

• 53.9% of Minneapolis residents who had an encounter with DHS agents also reported that they are less likely to obey commands from law enforcement agents. 
• 42.8% of Saint Paul residents who had an encounter with DHS agents also reported that they are less likely to obey commands from law enforcement agents. 

These results indicate potential future dangers to both those individuals as well as law enforcement agents. 

New Survey Data on Surge Impact on Businesses

USIPC also conducted a survey about the impact Operation Metro Surge had on businesses in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, which collectively had almost 900 respondents (489 in Minneapolis, 405 in Saint Paul).  

Using data collected from those businesses on the impact Operation Metro Surge had on their revenue, USIPC calculated that businesses likely lost $610 million in revenue:  

• $444.8 million in revenue in Minneapolis,  
• and $165.4 million in revenue in Saint Paul. during the Surge of DHS agents into Minnesota.  

The surveys also found that 60% of businesses in Minneapolis and 61% of businesses in Saint Paul reported that Operation Metro Surge had a negative impact on their operations.  

Additionally, sizeable majorities of businesses in both cities reported a decrease in customer traffic due to Metro Surge (72% in Minneapolis, 62.7% in Saint Paul), while over half the businesses surveyed reported negative impacts on their workforces (53.6% in Minneapolis, 57.6% in Saint Paul) and that customers were avoiding the areas where their businesses operate in due to fear of DHS agents (66.6% in Minneapolis, 57.4% in Saint Paul).  

The State and the cities allege the surge amounts to a violation of the First and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution, as well as the Constitution’s guarantee of equal sovereignty between state and federal governments. They further allege the surge violates the Administrative Procedure Act. Attorney General Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul first filed their lawsuit on January 12, 2026. More information on the original lawsuit is available here.