Suburbs form coalition in response to federal activity: “This is unsustainable”

In February, at least 21 cities in the greater Twin Cities metro area signed onto “Cities for Safe and Stable Communities” (CSSC), a nonpartisan coalition calling for emergency municipal aid after approximately 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived in Minneapolis in what White House representatives dubbed “Operation Metro Surge.”

Representatives from Columbia Heights, one of the 12 cities that initially joined the CSSC, wrote in a statement that “While our cities have faced challenges for some time, Operation Metro Surge has created an urgent need for a unified local voice.

“Current enforcement tactics are violating constitutional protections and actively harming the families we swore to serve,” the statement said. “This operation strains city resources, disrupts local economies, and tears at community cohesion. This is unsustainable, especially in light of the economic uncertainty of the past year. From small business closures and workforce instability to housing insecurity, the damage weakens Minnesota’s entire economic engine.”

The CSSC asked federal and state elected officials for a variety of material and rhetorical changes, including “immediate de-escalation” of ICE activity, an “acknowledgement of economic harms” and “potential 2026 relief funds to cities.”

The funds in question would help recoup costs of police overtime, soothe economic losses and buffer against administrative costs.

The CSSC is also asking for federal agents to be prohibited from wearing masks during local operations and barred from operating at schools, hospitals and places of worship. The latter was ICE policy from 2011 until it was rescinded by the Trump administration in late January 2025.

The impacts of the operation

Amáda Márquez Simula, mayor of Columbia Heights, stressed the coalition’s nonpartisan nature in a conversation with the Northeaster. Simula said she was hoping for agents to follow the Constitution, saying that Operation Metro Surge targeted “Minnesotans… in a partisan way.”

Simula added that the Surge has impacted Columbia Heights Public Schools (CHPS), saying schools needed additional funding and expressing concern for students’ mental health. The Northeaster has previously reported on students and parents in the CHPS network. “Students look across the classroom and see empty chairs, and they know why people aren’t there.”

State Senator Doron Clark, DFL-60, who represents Northeast Minneapolis, said that, in recent weeks, ICE agents had been “hanging outside of observers’ homes” in Columbia Heights, including the homes of school board members.

The economic and personal impact is not limited to the greater metro area. On February 13, the City of Minneapolis released a report estimating that Operation Metro Surge has resulted in “at least $203.1 million in impact to Minneapolis in one month alone,” adding that “This is very likely a significant underestimation.”

Moving forward

On Thursday, February 12, White House Border Czar Tom Homan said the surge made the Twin Cities, and Minnesota at large, “much safer for the communities here because of what we have accomplished under President Trump’s leadership.” He added that a “small footprint of personnel” will remain for “a period of time” as the operation winds down. As of February 25, federal officials say fewer than 1,000 immigration agents remain in the state.

On February 21, St. Anthony Village put out a statement of their own to announced the city recently joined the CSSC. “The decision to join the coalition reflects our commitment to protecting the stability, safety, and well-being of our residents, businesses, and community institutions.”

“By joining this coalition, St. Anthony Village adds its voice to a growing number of Minnesota cities calling for the immediate de-escalation of Operation Metro Surge and a return to stability for our community. Our priority is ensuring that residents feel secure, businesses can operate without disruption, and local institutions can continue serving our community effectively.”

“Cautiously optimistic”

In a conversation with the Northeaster, Wendy Webster, mayor of St. Anthony Village, said the CSSC is likely to look at “collective lobbying at the state level” for state aid.

Charlie Yunker, St. Anthony Village City Manager, added that there isn’t a clear way to quantify the economic impact of Operation Metro Surge. “It’s not in the city budget,” he said. “That certainly isn’t to say we don’t have businesses that have been impacted by lack of staff or by lack of folks going out and shopping as much as they otherwise would have. By joining this coalition, we can help advocate for cities that have had more significant impact than us. Hopefully, that benefits everyone that has been impacted.”

Webster stressed that community members in St. Anthony Village “value public safety,” saying that has led to some frustration.

“If ICE was banging on my door and were trying to break into my house, if I call 911, local law enforcement cannot intervene, and that’s really frustrating and difficult for people to understand, because it’s what we’ve taught our communities: If you see something, you say something.

“Our officers can be on scene to record what is happening in that moment: If I’m being detained by ICE, they’re able to record that. They’re able to write a police report. But I think what has been difficult for our community members to understand is the public-safety functions of our community that we rely on so fiercely are not able to assist in these moments in which our constitutional rights are not being adhered to.”

When asked about the February 12 announcement of a drawdown of ICE operations, Webster said she is “cautiously optimistic.”

“For myself, I will feel more confident that there is an actual drawdown based on what we are hearing from our trained observers,” Webster said. “I have a responsibility to be cautious in understanding what is really happening at the ground level and how it may still be impacting our community here in St. Anthony.”