Trump's Immigration Crackdown Retreat in Minnesota Offers Lessons

Minnesotans' nonviolent resistance against the federal government's aggressive immigration tactics provides insights for democracy defenders across the country.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The winter of 2026 in Minnesota will be remembered as a triumph of nonviolent resistance against the Trump administration's heavy-handed immigration crackdown. Locals united to protect their immigrant neighbors, employing tactics like community organizing, libertarian principles, and peaceful protest that ultimately led to the federal government's retreat. This victory offers important lessons about the power of grassroots movements, the limits of authoritarian overreach, and the importance of strong local institutions in defending democracy.

Why it matters

The events in Minnesota demonstrate how determined communities can successfully resist authoritarian overreach, even from the federal government. The tactics used - communal solidarity, libertarian principles, and nonviolent resistance - provide a roadmap for democracy defenders across the country facing similar challenges. This story also highlights the crucial role of local institutions and the limits of corporate power in the face of political repression.

The details

In response to the Trump administration's "Operation Metro Surge," which involved heavily armed federal agents roaming Minnesota communities, detaining immigrants, and even killing two American citizens, local residents mobilized a widespread nonviolent resistance effort. Neighborhoods came together to support and protect their immigrant neighbors, with churches, mosques, and synagogues providing material and spiritual aid. The resistance employed tactics like chants, marches, and mockery rather than violence, which helped win the battle for public opinion - two-thirds of Americans believed the administration's tactics had "gone too far." Strong local institutions like the judiciary, police department, and state legislature also played a key role in pushing back against the federal government's unconstitutional actions.

  • In late 2025, the Trump administration launched "Operation Metro Surge" in Minnesota, deploying thousands of heavily armed federal agents.
  • In January 2026, federal judges issued a series of scathing rulings against the administration's tactics, finding them unconstitutional.
  • By February 2026, the administration announced it was ending the crackdown and withdrawing federal agents from Minnesota.

The players

Tom Homan

The Trump administration's border czar who announced the end of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Judge Jerry Blackwell

A federal judge who repeatedly rebuked the administration's failure to comply with court orders to release detainees, reminding the government that it is "not above the law."

Brian O'Hara

The Minneapolis Police Chief who publicly criticized the federal agents' tactics, noting that two of the three recent homicides in the city were committed by the feds.

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What they’re saying

“The DOJ, the DHS, and ICE are not above the law. They do wield extraordinary power, and that power has to exist within constitutional limits.”

— Judge Jerry Blackwell (Minnesota Reformer)

“Liberals, leftists, moderates, socialists, communists, and f*cking all the rest have an opportunity here to come together and fight fascism. That means, for the moment, FOR THE F*CKING MOMENT, to not be a dumb*ss b*tch about factionalism and old beefs. Just for now. For a bit.”

— Anonymous Militant Leftist (X (formerly Twitter)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the federal government to resume its immigration crackdown operations in Minnesota.

The takeaway

The successful nonviolent resistance in Minnesota against the Trump administration's heavy-handed immigration tactics provides a powerful model for how determined communities can stand up to authoritarian overreach, even from the federal government. This story highlights the importance of local institutions, communal solidarity, and principled nonviolent action in defending democracy.