DHS leaders replaced as Operation Metro Surge is wound down
Updated
Updated · MinnPost · May 5
DHS leaders replaced as Operation Metro Surge is wound down
10 articles · Updated · MinnPost · May 5
In Minnesota, about 3,000 federal agents were deployed, roughly 4,000 people were arrested and two protesters died, helping turn Trump’s immigration agenda into a political liability.
Tom Homan replaced Gregory Bovino and moved to end the operation, while new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin backed judicial warrants for home entries and regretted remarks about protester Alex Pretti.
Videos of the crackdown helped drive public opinion against mass deportations, Democrats blocked new ICE and Border Patrol funding, and aid groups and volunteers expanded support for immigrant families.
After citizen deaths paused warrantless raids, what is the future for the massive deportation infrastructure already under construction?
A secret memo greenlit warrantless home raids. How will courts weigh this executive policy against constitutional protections of the home?
Pausing ICE’s $1 Billion Detention Expansion: Mullin’s Judicial Warrant Requirement and Community Pushback
Overview
In early 2026, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin swiftly paused the $1.074 billion plan to convert warehouses into ICE detention centers, responding to widespread community backlash over infrastructure concerns and ongoing lawsuits from the previous administration's rapid expansion. Mullin also reversed aggressive enforcement policies by requiring judicial warrants for home entries and adopting a lower-profile approach. These changes eased local tensions and gained cautious support from immigrant rights groups but alarmed conservative advocates, fueling partisan deadlock in Congress. The freeze caused detention capacity bottlenecks and deportation backlogs, while ongoing legal challenges and funding disputes continue to shape the uncertain future of U.S. immigration enforcement.