Minneapolis, MN — February 13, 2026 — Community members, elected officials, and organizers gathered today at COPAL’s Primero de Mayo Workers’ Center to mark one year since the launch of the Love Your Immigrant Neighbor campaign and to make clear that ending the operation does not address the lasting harm inflicted on Minnesota families, workers, and local economies.
Held just ahead of Valentine’s Day, the press conference uplifted a clear message from the community: real love shows up in action by protecting families, defending human rights, and caring for one another in moments of crisis.
The Love Your Immigrant Neighbor campaign was launched in the aftermath of the first ICE raid in Rochester, Minnesota, following the start of Trump’s second term. What began as a response to one raid has since grown into a statewide movement grounded in solidarity. While federal officials recently announced the end of Operation Metro Surge, community leaders emphasized that the harm inflicted has not been addressed.
“Our cities have been left in ruins, our families live in fear, and our businesses are struggling to survive. This administration must be held accountable. This has never been only about immigration; immigrants are being used as a vehicle to undermine our democracy,” said Francisco Segovia, Executive Director of COPAL. “We are here to protect our families and defend our democracy.”
Speakers addressed the lasting impact of Operation Metro Surge, which flooded neighborhoods with military-style enforcement tactics for more than two months. Community members and organizers detailed widespread human rights violations resulting from the operation.
“From a network perspective, this was not just traumatic—it was destabilizing,” said Edwin Torres DeSantiago of the Immigrant Defense Network. “Dozens of small businesses have shut down. Millions drained from local economies. Thousands of families living in fear. We documented heart attacks triggered by raids. Broken bones. Head injuries. People shot. People killed.”
During Operation Metro Surge, many community members lost access to critical medical care. Families were afraid to seek medical care, disrupting access to life-saving medications, and essential health services for both adults and children. Munira Maalimisaaq, Family Nurse Practitioner and CEO of Inspire Change Clinic, described how her team stepped in to provide rapid, home-based medical support.
“What happened, happened to us as a community, and I am proud to say we showed up and have been able to meet people where they’re at. But this is not over. The trauma that has happened is going to take years to get over.”
Her team has already mobilized over 150 volunteer doctors to provide care to immigrant communities, deliver medications, and meet families’ urgent needs at home where they feel safest.
Speakers emphasized that the consequences of these enforcement actions extended beyond immigrant communities, affecting U.S. citizens, permanent residents, children, workers, and local economies.
“At Whipple, I was placed in a cell with no bed, given minimal food and water, and kept restrained. Eventually, I was walked out of the building and released at the front gate,” said community member and U.S.-born citizen Luis Cruz Torres. “This should never happen. ICE is detaining U.S. citizens and terrorizing our communities across this state. It is time to end these inhumane practices and remove ICE from our streets. Thank you.”
COPAL renewed its call for a full investigation into Operation Metro Surge. Ending the operation does not end its consequences, and our communities deserve transparency, accountability, protection, and resources needed to heal.
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Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL), is a member-based organization established in 2018 to improve the quality of life of Latine families by creating opportunities, building collective power, and transforming systems.
Media Contact: Wendy Zuñiga, (952) 564-0834, wendyz@copalmn.org
