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Operation Metro Surge Cost Minnesota 4,600 Hospitality Jobs and $71 Million in Wages

Researchers attribute the losses to sharp drops in customer demand caused by large-scale enforcement as well as widespread worker absences.

Overview

  • The operation began in January 2026 and federal officials say it deployed roughly 3,000 officers to the Twin Cities, triggering widespread disruption to daily work and commerce.
  • A study by North Star Policy Action with W.E. Upjohn found Minnesota’s leisure and hospitality sector lost about 4,600 jobs, 3.8 million working hours and $71 million in wages in the first quarter of 2026 compared with a synthetic counterfactual.
  • City of Minneapolis estimates and state sales-tax data corroborate large revenue declines for restaurants and hotels, with city reports citing up to $81 million in losses and taxable-sales tallies showing a roughly $31 million drop in Minneapolis food-and-drink sales over the three key months.
  • CBS News analysis of government records found fewer than one in four people arrested during the surge were convicted criminals.
  • Business owners said many workers stayed home or were arrested, which cut hours and pay and slowed recovery, and a state bill to provide aid for affected businesses stalled in the legislature.