On April 2, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released new labor market data for January 2026, giving us the first concrete look at how Minnesota's economy fared in the immediate aftermath of Operation Metro Surge. The picture is...

By Aaron Sojourner, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and Aaron Rosenthal, Northstar Policy Action This analysis aims to quantify key economic impacts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) surge of agents starting in early January 2026 to...

By, Aaron Rosenthal, Research Director, North Star Policy Action and Aaron Sojourner, Senior Economist and Deputy Director of Research, W.E. Upjohn Institute Since the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched Operation Metro Surge, many business owners,...

Introduction For the last six weeks, Minnesota has been the target of Operation Metro Surge. Conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the human cost of this operation has been tremendous. This cost has been epitomized by violence against numerous...

Local reporting shows economic harm statewide — while business leaders, corporations, and Republican lawmakers remain silent. ICE Enforcement Is Disrupting Minnesota’s Economy Minnesota is experiencing an unprecedented federal...

In the days before Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent in South Minneapolis, Minnesota Republican leaders and Donald Trump amplified false claims about Minnesotans that were used to justify a dangerous federal enforcement surge, deploying thousands of ICE...

The Minnesota Chamber Foundation recently released its 2026 Business Benchmarks report, offering a snapshot of how Minnesota’s economy is performing. In many places, we agree with their assessment. Minnesota’s economy is at a crossroads, and it’s essential that...

Expanding Possibilities by Aaron Rosenthal