# Operation Metro Surge > [!note] In court > U.S. District Judge [[Katherine Menendez]] declined on January 14, 2026 to block the operation in Attorney General Keith Ellison's suit, and again after Alex Pretti's killing. On January 16, in *Tincher v. Noem*, she barred officers from arresting, pepper-spraying or retaliating against peaceful protesters. ## What Happened **Operation Metro Surge** was an ICE enforcement operation launched in **Minneapolis, Minnesota** in December 2025, part of the Trump administration's broader mass-deportation campaign in sanctuary cities. The operation escalated into a national crisis after two U.S. citizens were killed by agents during enforcement actions in January 2026. Border Patrol commander [[Gregory Bovino]] was the operation's most visible federal official until January 26–27, 2026. After the Pretti killing, Trump sent [[Tom Homan]] to take over and Bovino left the city. He had defended both shootings, saying Pretti "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement," a claim bystander video contradicted. ## The Killings - **Renee Macklin Good** — U.S. citizen, shot and killed by ICE agents on **January 7, 2026** during an enforcement action in Minneapolis. Circumstances of the shooting generated immediate local outrage. - **Alex Pretti** — ICU nurse, U.S. citizen, shot and killed on **January 24, 2026** during a protest against the ongoing operation. Pretti's death — a healthcare worker killed while protesting immigration enforcement — became the national flashpoint. Two dead American citizens in a single operation in a single U.S. city. The killings were the most consequential domestic use-of-force incidents of the second Trump term. ## What HSI was running underneath ICE records released in October 2026 show HSI's St. Paul office filing its Minnesota cases under the name [[Operation North Star]]. They include the prosecution of the January 18, 2026 [[Cities Church Protest]], an investigation of the nonprofit fiscal sponsor of the "Defend the 612" fund, Hennepin County voter-fraud cases, and a stalking investigation in which "HSI undercover agents have infiltrated" Minneapolis rapid-response networks. On June 16, 2026, HSI and federal prosecutors charged 15 activists with conspiring to impede ICE, largely on the basis of a Signal group chat and blockades of the Whipple Federal Building. See [[Direct Action Minnesota Indictment]]. ## Miller's Role During his daily 10am immigration enforcement calls, [[Stephen Miller]] had directed ICE leadership to send agents into areas with heavy protester presence in order to "force confrontations" and win what he called the "PR battle." The strategy was predicated on the assumption that footage of confrontation would play well with the MAGA base. Instead, it produced two civilian deaths and a backlash that damaged the administration's immigration approval numbers further. ## Political Consequences The Minneapolis killings triggered a cascade: 1. **Trump privately distanced from Miller** — telling associates he "understands Miller sometimes goes too far" 2. **[[Kristi Noem]] fired as DHS Secretary** (March 5, 2026) — while multiple factors contributed to Noem's dismissal, the Minneapolis crisis exposed DHS operational failures under her leadership 3. **[[Markwayne Mullin]] confirmed as DHS Secretary** (March 23, 2026) — with an implicit mandate to professionalize enforcement and reduce political liability 4. **Miller sidelined from operations** — his policy title remained, but [[Tom Homan]] and Mullin took control of day-to-day enforcement decisions 5. **ICE arrests declined** — from ~36,000/month (January) to ~30,000/month (March), a 17% drop 6. **Visa cuts reversed** — Trump walked back legal-immigration restrictions in late January; Miller was not consulted ## KB Significance Operation Metro Surge is the case study for what happens when the maximalist immigration enforcement apparatus — built by Miller, funded by the [[Big Beautiful Bill]], executed by [[ICE]] — collides with American civilian life. The operation demonstrated that the political logic of "force confrontations" has a ceiling: when U.S. citizens die, the calculus changes even for this White House. It is also the proximate cause of the Miller sidelining — the first documented instance of Trump's inner circle limiting Miller's operational authority on his signature issue. ## Doctor Paradox Blog Content - **[The killing of Renee Good](https://doctorparadox.net/renee-good-murder/)** (January 18, 2026) — Detailed analysis of the Renee Good shooting: officer [[Jonathan Ross]] broke DHS policy by putting himself in the path of a moving vehicle (see [[Officer-Created Jeopardy]]), had his cellphone occupying one hand when he drew his weapon, and showed no apparent fear despite claiming it. Covers the immediate smear campaign by Trump, Vance, and Noem. - **[There aren't plenty of fine people on both sides](https://doctorparadox.net/there-arent-plenty-of-fine-people-on-both-sides/)** (January 26, 2026) — Uses the Alex Pretti killing as the contemporary anchor for an analysis of "both sides" rhetoric from Charlottesville to Minneapolis. ## See Also - [[Stephen Miller]] — architect of the enforcement strategy; sidelined afterward - [[Tom Homan]] — assumed operational control post-crisis - [[Gregory Bovino]] — the Border Patrol commander on the ground until January 27, 2026 - [[Markwayne Mullin]] — replaced Noem at DHS; took over implementation - [[Kristi Noem]] — DHS Secretary during the operation; fired March 2026 - [[ICE]] — executing agency - [[Officer-Created Jeopardy]] — the use-of-force doctrine at the center of the Renée Good shooting - [[Immigration]] — the broader 2026 midterms issue dossier