Operation Metro Surge pause, covert ICE activity, and the federal withholding of evidence in Good/Pretti investigations

The formal pause of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota in early 2026 marked a highly publicized shift in federal immigration enforcement tactics, but the reality beneath this announcement reveals a far more complex and troubling scenario: ICE continues to conduct covert operations in the Twin Cities, while federal agencies maintain an entrenched withholding of crucial evidence in the investigations of the fatal shootings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. This impasse has deepened mistrust, obstructed justice, and intensified political and legal battles over accountability, oversight, and the boundaries of federal immunity.

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Operation Metro Surge Paused — But Covert ICE Activity Persists

Despite the official suspension of Operation Metro Surge in February 2026, a reduced but secretive ICE presence remains active in Minneapolis and St. Paul, fueling fear and frustration among immigrant communities:

• ICE agents operate in plainclothes and masks, deliberately obscuring their identities to avoid public scrutiny and community backlash.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refuses to disclose the number and deployment details of agents remaining in Minnesota, citing national security concerns. This veil of secrecy exacerbates community suspicions and undermines transparency.
• Local advocacy organizations, including the Center for Victims of Torture, describe the continued presence as “not a step toward healing but an extension of the surge,” highlighting ongoing psychological trauma inflicted on vulnerable populations.
• Residents and activists report frequent encounters with masked ICE personnel, recalling the intimidation tactics characteristic of the surge itself.

This covert continuation underscores the federal government’s reluctance to fully disengage from aggressive immigration enforcement in Minnesota, despite political pressure and public opposition.

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Federal Evidence Withholding Deepens Justice Deadlock in Good and Pretti Cases

At the heart of the controversy are the two fatal shootings of Minnesota residents Renée Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents, which remain unresolved due to persistent federal stonewalling:

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken exclusive control of the investigations, effectively sidelining state and local authorities.
• Critical evidence, including body-worn camera (BWC) footage, forensic autopsy and ballistics reports, internal case files, and agent statements, remains withheld by federal agencies. Multiple court orders and legal demands to disclose these materials have been ignored.
• This evidence blockade has led to prosecutorial paralysis:
  • At least one defendant connected to the Good case was released due to lack of accessible evidence.
  • Several local prosecutors, frustrated by federal noncooperation, have resigned, further weakening accountability efforts.
• Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans called the federal refusal to share evidence “historic” and “unprecedented” in a deadly use-of-force case involving federal agents.
• Families affected by these shootings condemn the federal secrecy as “a continuation of harm,” prolonging trauma and denying them closure.

The consolidation of investigative authority within federal hands, combined with systemic withholding of evidence, has created an almost insurmountable barrier to justice at the state level.

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Minnesota’s Legal Push to Pierce Federal Immunity: Invoking Civil Rights Statutes

In response to federal obstruction, Minnesota’s legal teams have launched unprecedented litigation aimed at piercing the shield of federal immunity protecting ICE agents:

• The state has invoked the Ku Klux Klan Act (also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1871), a Reconstruction-era statute rarely used in modern federal agent accountability cases, to:
  • Challenge qualified immunity defenses shielding ICE officers from prosecution.
  • Assert state jurisdiction over federal agents involved in the shootings.
  • Compel disclosure of withheld evidence to enable fair prosecution.
• Attorney General Keith Ellison condemned the federal stonewalling as “corrosive to public trust and the rule of law.”
• Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty emphasized that “without these materials, prosecution is impossible.”
• Legal experts view Minnesota’s strategy as potentially landmark, with implications that could reshape federal-state relations and accountability frameworks nationwide.

This aggressive legal stance reflects Minnesota’s determination to overcome institutional barriers and hold federal agents responsible under civil rights law.

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Department of Justice Staffing Crisis and Its Impact on Prosecutions

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) office in Minnesota has been severely affected by a wave of resignations and retirements among career prosecutors amid the political and operational turmoil surrounding the Good and Pretti investigations:

• This staffing crisis has caused significant delays and gaps in pursuing federal prosecutions related to the cases.
• Some defendants connected to the investigations have been released as a direct consequence of prosecutorial vacancies and resource shortages.
• The turmoil undermines federal capacity to manage complex cases involving ICE officers and contributes to the perception of institutional dysfunction and lack of accountability.

The DOJ’s internal challenges compound the evidentiary deadlock, further obstructing justice and fueling public frustration.

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Explosive Allegations of Trump DOJ Sabotage in the Pretti Investigation

A coalition of civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups publicly accused the Trump-era Department of Justice of deliberately sabotaging the investigation into Alex Pretti’s death:

• The groups allege politically motivated interference aimed at protecting federal agents and obstructing genuine accountability.
• These allegations expose deep partisan and institutional dysfunction within federal law enforcement agencies.
• Calls for independent investigations and comprehensive structural reforms within ICE and the DOJ have intensified nationally as a result.

The accusation of sabotage highlights the complex political dynamics that have hampered transparent and effective investigation efforts.

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Revelations About ICE Agent’s Wealth Raise Ethical and Oversight Questions

Recent investigative reporting has revealed that the ICE agent responsible for the fatal shooting of Renée Good has become a millionaire, primarily through donations and financial support linked to the case:

• This development has sparked public outrage and ethical concerns over the financial backing of federal agents implicated in deadly enforcement actions.
• Critics argue that such financial support undermines accountability and risks incentivizing aggressive or reckless behavior by agents.
• The revelation further fuels calls for transparency and reform within ICE’s internal culture and oversight mechanisms.

The financial dimension adds a new layer of controversy that deepens mistrust in federal immigration enforcement.

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Political and Local Activism Targeting Indirect ICE Support

Community activism in Minnesota has expanded beyond confronting direct ICE enforcement to challenging local governments’ indirect facilitation of ICE operations:

• Campaigns seek to terminate contracts allowing ICE to use municipal gun ranges for training, framing such agreements as tacit complicity in militarized enforcement tactics.
• The National Herald and other outlets have spotlighted these efforts as tangible resistance to federal overreach.
• Local political responses remain fragmented:
  • The Winnebago County Board recently declined to adopt a resolution condemning ICE actions, exposing political fractures.
  • Other counties face mounting grassroots pressure to sever ties with ICE, highlighting a patchwork of local political will.

These battles underscore the contested nature of ICE’s presence and influence at the municipal level.

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Congressional Oversight, Whistleblower Testimony, and Calls for Reform

Federal congressional oversight efforts have gained momentum amid whistleblower disclosures and public hearings revealing systemic ICE failures:

• Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representatives Robert Garcia have led hearings exposing:
  • Deficient ICE training lacking constitutional safeguards and de-escalation techniques.
  • A culture prioritizing aggressive enforcement over community engagement and restraint.
• Former ICE instructor Steve Bunnell testified that training programs are “deficient, defective, and broken,” directly linking these failings to use-of-force incidents like Good’s shooting.
• Bipartisan calls have emerged for reforms including:
  • Mandatory use of body-worn cameras for all ICE agents.
  • Establishment of independent oversight bodies for ICE.
  • Reform of use-of-force policies.
• However, legislative progress is stalled by partisan gridlock and entrenched legal protections like qualified immunity, which shield federal agents from many forms of accountability.

Despite growing pressure, meaningful reform remains elusive, maintaining a climate of impunity.

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Broader Implications for Federal-State Relations and Immigration Enforcement

Minnesota’s saga exemplifies the fraught tensions between federal authority, state sovereignty, and the quest for justice in immigration enforcement:

• The continuation of covert ICE operations despite the formal pause of Metro Surge reflects federal reluctance to fully cede control or transparency.
• Persistent withholding of critical evidence paralyzes prosecutions and erodes public trust.
• Legal challenges to federal immunity may set precedents affecting accountability nationwide.
• DOJ staffing turmoil and political interference illustrate institutional dysfunction at the highest levels.
• Local activism and political fractures reveal contested governance over immigration enforcement at multiple levels.
• Congressional hearings and whistleblower testimonies highlight systemic ICE deficiencies demanding reform.
• Revelations about financial backing for implicated agents raise ethical concerns that complicate oversight efforts.

Together, these dynamics place Minnesota at the forefront of a national reckoning over the future of immigration enforcement, federal policing, and democratic accountability.

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Voices from the Frontlines

Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General:
“Stonewalling by the federal government erodes public trust and obstructs justice. We call for independent oversight and reforms to ensure transparency and accountability in these investigations.”

Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney:
“The federal government’s refusal to share evidence is a blatant affront to justice. We are actively pursuing every possible avenue to obtain this evidence so we can hold those responsible accountable.”

Drew Evans, BCA Superintendent:
“This is historic. We have never experienced a situation where the FBI outright refuses to share evidence in a case of this magnitude involving use of deadly force.”

Steve Bunnell, Former ICE Official:
“ICE must operate within constitutional limits, and DHS must be held accountable to the Constitution. Without this, abuses will continue unchecked.”

Luke Gang, Brother of Renée Good:
“Her death should not be another statistic. We demand accountability, transparency, and an end to these unchecked federal operations that continue to devastate families.”

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The unresolved deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti remain stark reminders of the human cost of opaque and unaccountable immigration enforcement. Minnesota’s ongoing legal battles, political activism, and public scrutiny may chart a critical path toward justice and reform—serving as a national litmus test for the limits of federal power and the promise of democratic oversight in law enforcement.