For more than two months, Minnesotans in immigrant communities have been in hiding – fearing arrest, detention or deportation. At the peak of what the Trump administration called “Operation Metro Surge,” there were 3,000 federal immigration agents in the state.
It led many immigrants to limit trips outside the house, some not leaving at all. They’ve seen ICE agents racially profile or wrongfully detain family and friends.
MPR News collected stories from several people under those circumstances across the state. They recorded voices memos or spoke to a reporter over three days between Jan. 24 and Feb. 4, sharing what their day was like. They answered questions including: did you leave the house today? What did you not get to do today that you normally get to do? How is this impacting your life?
The result is an intimate portrait of Minnesotans who have been deeply impacted by the surge of federal immigration agents in the state. We are only using first names or first initials due to safety concerns.