Minneapolis leaders say Operation Metro Surge did over $700 million in damage

Deena Winter, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jun 10, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis officials say the Trump administration’s federal immigration crackdown cost the city, residents and businesses nearly $700 million, according to their latest estimates.

That’s up from mid-February, when city officials estimated Operation Metro Surge caused more than $203 million in damage to Minneapolis in the preceding 11 weeks. They said the operation cost people jobs, emptied out businesses and hotel rooms, and left people hungry.

City officials announced specifics of their new estimate — which covers a longer period, from December through April — during a Wednesday morning news conference.

“As we move forward, our shared responsibility is not only to acknowledge what happened, but to also invest in the people and neighborhoods that carried the burden of it,” Mayor Jacob Frey said during the news conference.

The city spent millions of dollars responding to the federal operation, causing what city officials have characterized as a “significant financial challenge.”

The Minneapolis Police Department alone spent $10 million on overtime and standby pay as it extended shifts, canceled days off and called in officers for emergencies.

Minneapolis has also spent $2 million to help people pay their rent.

The city also waived $4 million in license renewal fees for more than 2,000 food and hospitality businesses. In addition, more than 1,100 businesses that already paid their fees for 2026 will get over $1.75 million in refunds this month.

Minneapolis Director of Emergency Management Rachel Sayre, who led the “rapid early analysis” of damage to Minneapolis, had previously done similar work with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

------------