When ICE sweeps a community, public health pays a price – and recovery will likely take years

As immigration enforcement crackdowns expand across the US, communities can mobilize to lessen the public health impacts.

By: Nicole L. Novak, University of Iowa and William D. Lopez, University of Michigan, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 18, 2026

Words: 1,362

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 2 days ago

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By Nicole L. Novak, University of Iowa and William D. Lopez, University of Michigan

The Trump administration announced on Feb. 12, 2026, that it is ending Operation Metro Surge, its deployment of more than 3,000 federal immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding metro area. Federal officials say some agents will remain in the area and have vowed that similar immigration sweeps are coming soon to other U.S. cities.

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