Weekly Brief Feb. 9: Domestic Militarization Watch

February 9, 2026

🏫“Operation Metro Surge” Continues Despite Reduction in Agents – Minnesota School Districts Sue Feds to Block ICE Activity Near Schools

• On February 4th, White House border czar, Tom Homan, announced plans to withdraw 700 ICE agents from Minnesota “effective immediately,” leaving about 2,000 federal enforcement officers to remain in the state as DHS’s “Operation Metro Surge” continues (CNN, 5 Feb. 2026).
• Despite this reduction, Minnesota residents have not seen a change as ICE raids and federal agents’ aggressive tactics and confrontations with the public continue. Community advocacy groups continue to receive frequent reports of ICE sightings in the area and Minneapolis residents shared videos on social media of an early-morning raid on an apartment building involving more than a dozen federal agents (The New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026). 
• As raids continue in suburbs and around sensitive areas, Minnesota school districts in Duluth and Fridley filed a federal lawsuit to block ICE activity near schools and bus stops. At many schools across the Twin Cities, classroom attendance has dwindled as families elect online learning out of fear. Others have started sending their children to school with passports around their necks (Bring Me The News, 6 Feb. 2026).

🚨San Antonio ICE Raid Video Goes Viral – Rep. Castro Calls for Investigation

• A video circulating online shows what witnesses say was an ICE raid at a home in San Antonio’s Sunrise neighborhood on Thursday morning. A resident who recorded the incident on Facebook Live alleges federal agents entered the northeast-side home without presenting a search warrant and pointed firearms at those inside, all of whom she says are either U.S. citizens or have legal status.
• According to the witness, the encounter began earlier when her roommate and the roommate’s boyfriend were stopped by men in an unmarked vehicle while driving to work. She claimed the men banged on the car windows, did not allow the couple time to present identification, and then followed them back to the house, where the roommate was briefly detained. The witness claims agents initially accused the boyfriend of being a child-abuse suspect but later realized they had the wrong person (CBS KENS5 News San Antonio, 7 Feb. 2026).
• Local officials have begun looking into the incident after the video spread widely online and Democratic U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro is calling for an official investigation into the incident after seeing the video (NBC News4 San Antonio, 6 Feb. 2026).

⚖️States Push Back with New Protections as Courts and Lawmakers Confront Aggressive Enforcement

• A federal judge recently ordered immigration agents in Oregon to stop making warrantless arrests except in cases involving a clear risk of escape, responding to allegations of due-process violations and excessive force tied to federal ICE raids in Portland. Oregon officials and advocates say the decisions highlight growing concern that aggressive federal tactics are harming immigrant communities and undermining constitutional protections (AP News, 4 Feb. 2026). 

• The Trump administration has dropped its appeal of a court ruling blocking National Guard deployment to Portland, Oregon. Federal attorneys stated they would no longer challenge a permanent injunction issued by a federal judge that found the attempted troop deployment unconstitutional and a violation of state authority. The decision leaves the injunction in place, preserving limits on federal military involvement in the city tied to immigration-related protests near an ICE facility. State officials say continued court oversight is necessary as the administration has continued to signal interest in deploying troops domestically (Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), 6 Feb. 2026).
• New Mexico enacted the Immigrant Safety Act, expanding state-level protections for immigrant communities. The newly signed law prohibits state and local governments from contracting to detain people for civil immigration violations and bars agreements that deputize local law enforcement for federal immigration enforcement. Supporters argue the legislation prevents state resources from supporting detention and deportation systems that have faced allegations of abuse and unsafe conditions. The measure reflects a broader national trend of states adopting policies to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and prioritize community safety (ACLU New Mexico, 5 Feb. 2026).