Report: Hundreds more federal agents to arrive in Twin Cities for illegal immigration and fraud crackdown

Sarah Nelson and Louis Krauss, Star Tribune on Jan 5, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration is sending hundreds of additional federal agents to the Twin Cities in a significant escalation of its immigration enforcement presence in Minnesota, according to a report published Monday by CBS News.

The report cites anonymous law enforcement sources who say as many as 2,000 agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation branch and Homeland Security Investigations will deploy to the Twin Cities for a 30-day surge operation.

The Minnesota Star Tribune has been unable to independently confirm the report. Minneapolis and state officials have been fielding questions since the holidays about an anticipated surge of federal agents coming to Minnesota.

The surge of federal agents to Minnesota follows intense national scrutiny over fraud cases looting the state’s social programs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Dec. 31 announced a pause in federal child care funding to Minnesota amid allegations of fraud in the state’s day care centers.

The reported deployment would build on the roughly 100 federal agents Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said are already in the Twin Cities.

The deployment, which is said to have begun Jan. 4, will also bring U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino to Minnesota after overseeing immigration operations in Chicago, New Orleans and Los Angeles, according to the report.

The Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm the reported deployment, citing safety concerns.

“While for the safety of our officers we do not get into law enforcement footprint, DHS has surged law enforcement and has already made more than 1,000 arrests of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

McLaughlin didn’t immediately respond to a request for clarification on whether the 1,000 arrests were made in Minnesota or nationwide. DHS previously said that agents have arrested more than 670 people in Minnesota since Dec. 1, although the Star Tribune has been unable to verify that number. The agency has not released a list of those detained.

Though no official announcement of the deployment has been made, a social media post by ICE indicated an influx of federal agents was slated to arrive in Minnesota. The post on X accused Hilton Hotels of canceling reservations for federal agents ahead of their stay at a Hampton Inn in Lakeville during the first weekend of the new year.

The post showed an email sent Jan. 2 from a Hilton address stating their staff “have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.” The email said any customer who is “with DHS or immigration” will have their reservation canceled.

The Hampton hotel in Lakeville did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday. Asked for a response, a Hilton spokesperson distanced the company from the Lakeville hotel’s decision and said in an email that the property is independently owned and operated.

“We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone,” the company’s statement said.

ICE has previously surged agents into major metropolitan areas for targeted enforcement operations, moves that have at times drawn protests and legal scrutiny, particularly when conducted with limited public notice.

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