A note from Racket News Managing Editor Greg Collard:
Ford Fischer has made Minneapolis his reporting home base in 2026. He’s spent 16 days there this year documenting federal immigration enforcement and the escalation in opposition from activists after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the immigration crackdown there, Operation Metro Surge, would wind down. Agents will be withdrawing through next week. Homan took over the operation from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Jan. 26 after the fatal shooting of Pretti.
Ford’s latest trip was Feb. 2-8. Ford said there were notable differences from anearlier tripfrom Jan. 12-17. The number of federal agents present at protests declined, with local and state police involved in making arrests, which Ford said reduced the need for federal agents to rely on riot munitions to push protesters back.
“In my previous trip, federal agents would do the majority of front line policing against people protesting them. This would lead to street skirmishes involving tear gas, pepper spray, and sting balls, which would in turn tend to have an escalating effect.
Ford’s work included documenting Border Patrol and ICE agents, which prompted criticism from ICE on its official X account earlier this month.
“No stalking, impeding, or obstruction here, but the filming will continue!” Fischer replied on X. “Every federal agent swore an oath to protect and defend that right.”
Source: Racket News
