Study Estimates Operation Metro Surge Led to 32,000 Job Losses in Minnesota
A report from the Minnesota Budget Project and the Immigration Research Initiative estimated that Operation Metro Surge led to the loss of approximately 32,000 jobs in Minnesota. The study examined nearly 4,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests between December 2025…
Minneapolis St. Paul, MN, October 16, 2026 —
A report from the Minnesota Budget Project and the Immigration Research Initiative estimates that Operation Metro Surge led to the loss of approximately 32,000 jobs in Minnesota. The reported effects extended beyond people who were detained or deported, reaching both immigrant and U.S.-born workers, according to the study.
The study examined nearly 4,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests between December 2025 and February 2026. The organizations’ estimate points to broader employment effects associated with the operation, rather than a count limited to jobs held by people directly detained or deported.
The information provided about the report does not include a detailed breakdown of the estimated job losses, such as the number affecting immigrant workers compared with U.S.-born workers. It also does not specify which industries or areas of Minnesota were affected, or describe the methodology used to calculate the estimate. The contractor’s name and any other agencies involved were not provided.
The figure is an estimate attributed to the two organizations, not a stated count of verified individual job losses. The report summary also does not provide a comparison with employment trends outside the period examined or separate the effects of the operation from other possible influences. Those details are not available in the information provided.
The study’s central finding, as summarized, is that the economic impact extended beyond those detained or deported and included both immigrant and U.S.-born workers. The report’s full findings, including further details on how the estimate was reached, were not included in the summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Sabrina Salguero Del Cid on kstp.com, see more information here.
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