Northfield Police Chief Confirms End of Operation Metro Surge

Federal immigration enforcement presence in the area is winding down, according to the police chief.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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Northfield Police Chief Jeff Schroepfer says a heightened federal immigration enforcement presence in the area is coming to an end, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents expected to complete a drawdown by the end of next week as the Department of Homeland Security concludes Operation Metro Surge.

Why it matters

The increased ICE presence in recent weeks had generated anxiety in the Northfield community and placed the local police department in a difficult position of balancing community trust with questions about cooperation with federal authorities.

The details

According to Schroepfer, Dakota County 911 calls reporting ICE activity have dropped by roughly 50 percent, indicating that enforcement activity may already be slowing. Some ICE personnel will remain in the region to coordinate with county jails, but the police chief says the 'moral of the story' is 'don't get arrested'.

  • Operation Metro Surge brought an increased ICE presence to parts of southern Minnesota, including Northfield, in recent weeks.
  • Schroepfer says the drawdown of ICE agents should happen by the end of next week.

The players

Jeff Schroepfer

The Northfield Police Chief who confirmed the end of Operation Metro Surge.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency that conducted the heightened enforcement presence in the Northfield area as part of Operation Metro Surge.

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What they’re saying

“You're skeptical, many others are skeptical. I was skeptical myself until a meeting yesterday. But they're talking about the drawdown, which should happen by the end of this next week. It's started already.”

— Jeff Schroepfer, Northfield Police Chief (KYMN Radio)

“That's great. So we're definitely seeing a decline there. Hopefully that continues.”

— Jeff Schroepfer, Northfield Police Chief (KYMN Radio)

“The moral of the story there is don't get arrested.”

— Jeff Schroepfer, Northfield Police Chief (KYMN Radio)

What’s next

Some ICE personnel will remain in the region to coordinate with county jails on detainers and related matters, though the police chief deferred detailed questions about jail operations to the county sheriff's office.

The takeaway

The end of Operation Metro Surge signals a hoped-for return to routine policing for the Northfield Police Department, as they work to rebuild trust with a community that had grown wary of the heightened federal immigration enforcement presence.