how many ice agents in minnesota
There is no single precise public number of ICE agents in Minnesota, but current reporting gives a solid estimate for early February 2026.
Quick Scoop: How many ICE agents are in Minnesota?
The short, factual answer
- Recent federal briefings and news reports say there have been around 3,000 federal immigration enforcement agents (ICE and related units) operating in Minnesota as part of the current surge.
- The White House border czar Tom Homan has announced a drawdown of about 700 agents , which would leave roughly 2,000 ICE officers/immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota for now.
- Officials have repeatedly avoided giving an exact breakdown of how many of those are specifically ICE versus other federal components, so all numbers are best seen as estimates, not precise rosters.
In other words: think in the low thousands , with a current working figure of about 2,000 remaining ICE/immigration agents in-state after the partial pullback.
What the latest news is saying
Several overlapping pieces of reporting help sketch out the picture:
- A federal court-related report and local coverage in late January noted “more than 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota, including ICE and Border Patrol officers.”
- Separate coverage on the enforcement surge into the Minneapolis area described about 2,000 immigration enforcement agents being deployed, called the “largest immigration operation ever.”
- On February 4, multiple outlets reported Homan’s decision to withdraw about 700 of these agents , leaving around 2,000 in the state.
A Reddit news thread titled “700 ice agents to leave Minnesota” reflects the same numbers, with commenters talking about “the remaining 2000+” agents still there, echoing what formal outlets are reporting.
Why the number is fuzzy, not exact
Even though people online ask “how many ICE agents are in Minnesota?” like it should have a simple answer, there are a few reasons it stays vague:
- Rotations and temporary deployments : Officials explicitly mention that agents rotate in and out, making the exact headcount a moving target from week to week.
- Mixed federal forces : The surge includes ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and sometimes Border Patrol or other DHS components; public briefings usually give a total federal agents number, not a clean ICE-only slice.
- Operational secrecy : Agency spokespeople and the DHS have declined to give detailed operational numbers or breakdowns, citing security and ongoing operations.
So when the public hears “3,000 agents” or “2,000 remaining,” these are rounded operational figures and include multiple kinds of immigration- focused agents, not a precise personnel ledger.
How this became a trending topic
The question of how many ICE agents are in Minnesota has turned into a flashpoint because of several high‑profile developments:
- A large immigration enforcement surge into the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro was framed by ICE leadership as the “largest immigration operation ever conducted,” instantly drawing national attention and protests.
- Local officials, including the governor, publicly criticized the sudden influx of thousands of federal agents , calling it “a war that’s being waged against Minnesota,” which further amplified debate and media coverage.
- Violent confrontations in Minneapolis, including fatalities involving ICE and CBP officers, pushed the federal government to promise a partial drawdown while still keeping a large force—around 2,000 agents—on the ground.
Online, especially on forums and social platforms, people are:
- Questioning whether such numbers are proportionate to alleged threats.
- Comparing the ICE presence to local police staffing levels in Minneapolis in alarmed tones.
- Arguing over whether the drawdown of 700 agents is meaningful or mostly symbolic, since thousands are still deployed.
Multi‑viewpoint snapshot
Here’s how different sides tend to frame the same numbers:
- Federal security / pro‑enforcement view
- Says the thousands of ICE agents are necessary to carry out a major immigration and fraud crackdown labelled a national priority.
* Argues that the **reduction of 700 agents** shows responsiveness while still keeping enough officers to “get it all done.”
- State and local critics’ view
- See the 3,000‑agent surge as an overreach that sidelines local control and escalates tensions in the Twin Cities.
* Worry that a remaining **force of about 2,000 agents** is still extraordinarily high for Minnesota, especially around Minneapolis–St. Paul.
- Community and forum/online view
- Threads like “700 ice agents to leave Minnesota” and “Minneapolis will have more ICE agents than local police” show people trying to make sense of the scale and sharing local sightings, fears, and organizing strategies.
* Many emphasize staying informed, documenting encounters, and building local support networks in response to the heightened federal presence.
Key numbers (HTML table)
Below is a compact, HTML-formatted table of the main figures you’re asking about:
| Timeframe / Event | Reported number of agents | Details / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early January 2026 – major surge | About 2,000 immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis area | Described as ICE's "largest immigration operation ever," focused on Minnesota and especially the Twin Cities. | [10][8][3]
| Late January 2026 – court records mention | More than 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota (ICE + Border Patrol, etc.) | Figure cited in coverage of federal presence; mix of ICE and other federal officers. | [1]
| February 4, 2026 – drawdown announced | 700 agents to be withdrawn | White House border czar Tom Homan says nearly 25% will be pulled back. | [9][7][5]
| After drawdown (current estimate) | ≈2,000 ICE/immigration enforcement agents remain in Minnesota | Multiple outlets report that roughly 2,000 agents will stay in the state after the 700 leave. | [9][7][5]
TL;DR
- Total federal immigration agents in Minnesota recently peaked at over 3,000.
- With 700 now set to leave , most reports converge on about 2,000 ICE/immigration enforcement agents remaining in Minnesota for the time being.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.