housands of protesters march through the streets of Los Angeles in May of 2006 during the “A Day Without Immigrants Protest.”Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been racially profiling, and using violence against citizens in recent weeks. But ICE is not a new thing and has existed for many years. Many seem to think the violence just started recently, but that is not the case.
To many, the sight of federal agents in unmarked vehicles on Lake Street feels like a sudden shift in American life. But for those following the history of U.S. ICE, the “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis was less a new chapter and more the violent climax of a story that began in 2003.
ICE was not born out of a desire for labor regulation or civil service. It was forged in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, created in 2003 by the Homeland Security Act to merge the interior enforcement functions of the old Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Customs Service.
From its creation, the agency treated immigration primarily through the lens of national security rather than human rights.
“The Minneapolis City Council has had a separation ordinance restricting partnership between City Police and ICE for 22 years,” noted Councilmember Jamison Whiting.
This local law, born nearly alongside the agency itself, reflects a two-decade-long effort by city leaders to distance local public safety from federal deportation mandates.
While the recent operations have been uniquely aggressive, critics argue the tactics are rooted in a long history of racial profiling. For years, the agency has utilized “administrative warrants” documents signed by the agency itself rather than a judge, to gain entry into homes.
A 2025 Supreme Court ruling with Gonzalez v. ICE recently codified what many activists say has been the de facto reality for decades: federal agents can now legally use “apparent ethnicity” and language as factors in deciding whom to stop and detain.
This decision drew heavily on a 1975 precedent, United States v. Brignoni-Ponce, which allowed Border Patrol agents to stop individuals near the Mexican border based on their appearance, a logic now applied to the streets of Minneapolis and many other places.
The uprising controversy with ICE is also due to the presidents in office. With President George Bush, he focused on tightening visa screenings, combating the illegal movement of people and goods, and began to increase the use of “detainers.”
Under President Barack Obama, his administration expanded the “detainer” system rapidly before introducing more selective enforcement policies in 2014, and famously stated “Felons, not families” which explained that his immigration policy promised to focus deportation resources on serious criminals, national security threats, and gang members rather than undocumented, law-abiding families or children.
President Joe Biden’s goal was to implement a more “humane” immigration system by prioritizing the removal of people deemed risks to public safety, national security, and recent border crossers, rather than people who had already lived in America for years.
Lastly, President Donald Trump broadened the targeting scope to include almost any undocumented immigrant, including those without criminal records, and rescinded policies limiting arrests at “sensitive locations”.
He also initiated a “mass deportation” campaign, setting goals for 1 million deportations annually. The administration expanded ICE capacity to hold 100,000 people daily, intensified raids in “sanctuary cities,” and increased pressure on local law enforcement to assist with immigration enforcement.
President Trump is the first president to prioritize every single undocumented immigrant, even those who don’t harm the country, rather than violent criminals and threats to public safety.
The historical friction between Minneapolis and ICE reached a violent climax in late 2025. “Our City’s interactions with ICE changed significantly on Dec. 1, 2026,” Whiting explained. The deployment of thousands of agents, a force that at its peak outpaced local police, led to the fatal shooting of legal observers Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Minneapolis councilmember Elizabeth Shaffer noted that while the surge was ostensibly a response to viral allegations of daycare fraud, it quickly exposed colliding political factors and systemic abuses that had been bubbling under the surface for years.
The history of ICE is increasingly defined by the resistance it generates. In Minneapolis, this has manifested as “neighborism” with tens of thousands of residents volunteering for food shelves, documenting agents, and offering rides to those afraid to leave their homes.
“I was inaugurated on January 5th, 2026, two days before Renee Good was murdered,” Whiting reflects. “Minneapolis has been strongly anti-ICE for years, but the violence of Operation Metro Surge has had a massive impact… ICE is now the number one issue in our City.”
As federal officials announce a drawdown of agents, the legacy remains. With over 4,000 federal court rulings since late 2025 finding that ICE has held people illegally, the agency’s future is under more scrutiny than ever.
For Minneapolis, the goal is now reconstruction. Whiting said, “We have no playbook for this moment. Our first priority is making sure these agents leave immediately… but Minneapolis is strong, and I am confident that we will become a beacon for community resistance.”
While Shaffer stated that the violence has actually brought the city closer together, stating “I do see this as a turning point. Even during the coldest days of January, thousands of people came together to march and peacefully express their concerns. ICE activity has frozen many families in fear, making people afraid to leave their homes or go about their daily lives. But at the same time, it has brought neighbors together in powerful ways.”
