Extended Shifts, Canceled Days Off: Minneapolis Police Work Under Added Strain From Feds

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis police say officers are working extended shifts, losing scheduled days off, and facing increased public hostility as federal immigration enforcement activity in the Twin Cities continues to place added strain on local law enforcement.

The Minneapolis Police Department said Operation Metro Surge has created a range of impacts that fall largely on city officers, including protest-related deployments, emergency recalls, crowd management, and repeated responses to incidents tied to fear and confusion surrounding federal enforcement actions.

In some cases, officers have had to respond to 911 calls from residents unsure whether a detention was legitimate or fearing a kidnapping, requiring police intervention unrelated to crime prevention.

Local law-enforcement leaders across the metro have also said the surge has led to off-duty officers and officers of color being stopped or questioned by federal agents, adding to tension within the law-enforcement community itself and further complicating relationships between police and the public.

MPD remains down roughly 300 officers from its peak staffing levels, a shortage that MPD said has been exacerbated by federal activity requiring additional patrols, visibility, and response capacity.

Despite the strain, local officers continue to carry out core policing duties, including responding to violent crime, executing search warrants, and maintaining patrol coverage across the city.

Over recent weeks, MPD reported continued investigative work on serious crimes and ongoing efforts to remove illegal firearms from city streets, emphasizing that those efforts reflect routine, local police work carried out under significant operational pressure, not federal enforcement activity.

City leaders acknowledged the toll the surge has taken on local officers.

“Minneapolis didn’t ask for this operation, but our police officers are paying the price,” said Jacob Frey. “They are absorbing the overtime, the stress, and the public anger that comes with it while continuing to serve our residents.”

Police Chief Brian O’Hara said officers have remained professional despite increasingly difficult conditions.

“Our members are carrying responsibilities well beyond normal operations,” O’Hara said. “They are working longer hours, losing time off, and dealing with heightened tension on the street, all while continuing to focus on public safety.”

MPD said it will continue prioritizing day-to-day policing and violent crime investigations even as federal immigration enforcement activity continues to draw on local time and resources.

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday in said the Insurrection Act wouldn’t be needed “right now” in Minneapolis after meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the city.

The comment seemed to echo a similar retreat by President Donald Trump, who had threatened to invoke the rarely used federal law to quell persistent protests against federal agents in Minneapolis before telling reporters a week ago that there wasn’t a reason to use the act “right now.”

Vance also responded to reporting that federal authorities are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter people’s homes without a judge’s warrant.

“We’re never going to enter somebody’s house without some kind of warrant, unless of course somebody is firing at an officer and they have to protect themselves,” he said.

An ICE memo obtained by the AP authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.