There are still a lot of questions going forward in Minnesota as the end of the federal immigration enforcement, dubbed "Operation Metro Surge," comes to a close. White House border czar Tom Homan made the announcement Thursday that a drawdown of the more than 2,000 agents still in Minnesota had begun, and would continue for another week or so.
That announcement also came with a warning that operations targeting undocumented immigrants in Minnesota would continue, but in a more controlled way due to increased cooperation from local law enforcement and city, state leadershipt.
Immigration lawyers like Carrie Peltier are expressing some skepticism that it will actually happen, however.
"I don't trust anything the administration says at this point because they've proven themselves to be unreliable and fabricators of facts," Peltier told WCCO Radio Thursday.
Peltier says she had two of her clients taken on Thursday by ICE agents.
"So, I did have a client detained today, randomly," Peltier explains. "He has withholding of removal, but they picked him up. We don't know why yet, and I have another person who called for someone who was detained today. Looking for assistance to get him out. Was also already in proceedings but arrested a second time. So as of today they have not slowed down."
And had some advice for clients going forward.
"To continue to use extreme caution and make sure that they have my cell phone number in their phone, and to memorize it if possible," she says.
Peltier says she does not see their policies changing.
"They may take additional staff out of Minneapolis and focus their ire on another city. But I doubt the abuses of power and violations of the law will stop," Peltier added.
Minnesota's Democratic governor, Tim Walz, called the crackdown an “unnecessary, unwarranted and in many cases unconstitutional assault on our state.”
“It’s going to be a long road,” Walz told a news conference Thursday. “Minnesotans are decent, caring loving neighbors and they’re also some of the toughest people you’ll find. And we’re in this as long as it takes.”