Three months after masked ICE agents in unmarked vehicles swept through the Twin Cities as part of Operation Metro Surge — the Trump administration’s largest crackdown on immigrants — many residents say the operation’s damage is still being felt. What officials called a “turn and burn” strategy produced thousands of arrests, threats against journalists and activists documenting the raids, and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Neighbors mobilized immediately: people blew whistles to warn of ICE, volunteers drove migrants to work and appointments, and community groups delivered food to families afraid to leave home. The surge has since eased — arrests ticked down about 12 percent, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has been forced to retire, and neighborhood watches have waned — but the human cost lingers in ways enforcement numbers don’t capture: a hollowed-out local economy, growing debt, and trauma.
Reporters interviewed nine immigrants who described shuttered businesses, households rationing groceries, deteriorating mental health, and agonizing decisions about whether to stay in the United States.
The seamstress
One woman identified only as Y, who requested anonymity while her immigration case continues, was pulled over on Jan. 13 after finishing a shift at one of two seamstress jobs. She says unmarked cars surrounded her and agents arrested her despite her showing a work permit and proof that she’d applied for a U visa for crime victims. Held at several detention centers for a month, Y was released with an ankle monitor while her case proceeds.
She lost one job, incurred heavy debt, and watched her family scramble to cover basics. Her daughter borrowed $7,500 for bond, relatives pooled money to pay the mortgage and utilities, and Y now owes more than $13,000 to friends and family. Back at work, she is seeking extra hours, but plans to save for her daughter’s college have been shelved; the family now must rely on scholarships or other aid.
Day laborers
Common hiring spots — a Home Depot lot and an empty parcel on Lake Street among them — emptied as day laborers went into hiding. Months later some workers have returned, but work is slower and pay has dropped. An Ecuadorian man identified as V says he’s behind on rent. R, a 49-year-old cleaner who used to be picked up daily outside Home Depot, says her hourly rate fell from $20–$25 to about $15–$17. “It’s like starting again from zero,” she said. “ICE destroyed our lives psychologically and physically.”
Restaurants on the brink
Longstanding neighborhood restaurants have been hit hard. El Tejaban, a Mexican restaurant in Richfield owned by Miguel Hernandez Sr. and Rosa Zambrano for nearly 20 years, lost roughly 60 percent of sales during the sweep as staff stayed home and customers avoided dining out. With food prices up and rent obligations unchanged, the owners say they cannot recover the lost revenue and plan to close when their lease ends. The couple, now 60, had hoped to save for retirement; instead they are struggling just to cover rent. Their 27-year-old daughter recalls locking the doors during ICE activity in the parking lot and says the surge altered their family’s life even though they are U.S. citizens.
One family lost everything
Pablo Alcaraz and María Peñalosa, who have lived in the U.S. more than 20 years and hold work permits and a U visa, built Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant in West St. Paul into a thriving business that once generated about $15,000 a month in profit. During the operation, sales evaporated and the restaurant closed. The couple now rely on frozen food from the inventory and expect those supplies to run out in weeks. The shutdown wiped out their sole income, left them in debt, and plunged them into uncertainty and depression. “It’s so unfair that in a few months the government has ended the work of 20 years,” Peñalosa said.
Broader impacts and relief efforts
Advocates warn the economic and emotional effects will last for years. Myrka Zambrano of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee says many families now face food insecurity and housing instability. Minnesota lawmakers have discussed a $100 million relief fund for small businesses hit by the crackdown, but advocates say such aid would not cover the full scope of need.
These personal accounts show how a concentrated enforcement surge disrupted livelihoods, strained community safety nets, and left families scrambling to recover while weighing difficult choices about their futures in the United States. Reporting for these stories was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.