{"id":31397,"date":"2026-06-18T05:26:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:26:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=31397"},"modified":"2026-06-18T05:26:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:26:42","slug":"suicide-helpline-calls-more-than-doubled-during-ice-minneapolis-surge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=31397","title":{"rendered":"Suicide Helpline Calls More Than Doubled During ICE Minneapolis Surge"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"has-underline\">More than six<\/span> months after federal agents descended on Minnesota, the toll of the immigration crackdown on the Twin Cities continues to mount.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest revelations about the far-reaching and deeply felt impacts of the campaign known as Operation Metro Surge come in a Human Rights Watch report <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/node\/393784\">published Thursday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on more than 130 interviews, video analysis, and government arrest data, the report documents a dizzying array of abuses over the multi-month siege of Minneapolis and St. Paul \u2014 from lethal violence to free speech violations, unlawful detentions, and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While many of the abuses are well-known \u2014 including the killings of Minnesota residents <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/01\/08\/ice-agent-identified-shooting-minneapolis-jonathan-ross\/\">Renee Good<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/02\/13\/alex-pretti-first-aid-emt-federal-agents\/\">Alex Pretti<\/a> by federal agents \u2014 others occurred in the shadows of the infamous campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the most troubling accounts are those provided by healthcare and mental health professionals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the report, the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Minnesota saw a 120 percent increase in calls and a \u201csignificant increase\u201d in the number of people struggling with suicidal thoughts or actions during Metro Surge. One medical provider knew of at least three teenagers who attempted to take their own life after their parents were detained in the crackdown, with one of the adolescents doing so on a \u201cfrequent\u201d basis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne goal of the report is to bring light back to the full scope of the harm, and not only the harm that we saw in terms of violence in the streets, in terms of abusive detentions,\u201d Reagan Williams, the author of the new report, told The Intercept, \u201cbut also the effects that that had for aspects of daily life for everybody here \u2014 the impact it had on people\u2019s ability to leave their homes, to go to doctor, to go to school, to go to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- END-BLOCK(cta)[0] --><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Human Rights Watch found the combination of violence and <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/01\/11\/uber-minneapolis-border-patrol-somali-american\/\">racial profiling<\/a> that defined the crackdown caused many Minnesotans to forgo medical care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day after Good was killed, nearly a third of one healthcare provider\u2019s patients \u2014 mostly <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/01\/17\/somali-resistance-ice-patrol-minneapolis\/\">Somali<\/a> or Spanish-speaking immigrants \u2014 did not show up for pre-scheduled appointments. Another provider said the number of in-person visits at their office dropped by as much as 50 percent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Williams arrived in the Twin Cities, her focus was the kind of violent interactions <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/01\/08\/ice-minneapolis-video-killing-shooting\/\">documented<\/a> in viral videos proliferating from Minnesota. She soon learned those weren\u2019t the only issues community members were desperate to discuss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople that we talked with expressed emotions of exhaustion, fear, frustration, immense stress,\u201d she said. \u201cThey expressed particular concerns for children, medical providers in particular, the impact of missing school, of knowing violence is happening in their communities \u2014 for immigrant children and children of color, the fear of having a parent taken, of themselves being taken.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cChildren are particularly vulnerable to long-term impacts of this kind of acute violence and stress,\u201d Williams added. \u201cThose are impacts that will continue on.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-embed flex-col items-center print:hidden\" id=\"third-party--article-mid\" data-module=\"InlineNewsletter\" data-module-source=\"web_intercept_20241230_Inline_Signup_Replacement\">\n<div class=\"-mx-5 sm:-mx-10 p-5 sm:px-10 xl:-ml-5 lg:mr-0 xl:px-5 bg-accentLight hidden\" data-name=\"subscribed\">\n<h2 class=\"font-sans font-light uppercase text-[30px] leading-8 text-white tracking-[0.01em] mb-0\">\n      We\u2019re independent of corporate interests \u2014 and powered by members. Join us.    <\/h2>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/join.theintercept.com\/donate\/now\/?referrer_post_id=518257&amp;referrer_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheintercept.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Fice-minneapolis-mental-health-human-rights-watch%2F&amp;source=web_intercept_20241230_Inline_Signup_Replacement\" class=\"border border-white !text-white font-mono uppercase p-5 inline-flex items-center gap-3 hover:bg-white hover:!text-accentLight focus:bg-white focus:!text-accentLight\" data-name=\"donateCTA\" data-action=\"handleDonate\"><br \/>\n      Become a member      <span class=\"font-icons icon-TI_Arrow_02_Right\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"group default w-full px-5 hidden\" data-name=\"unsubscribed\">\n<div class=\"px-5 border-[10px] border-accentLight\">\n<div class=\"bg-white -my-2.5 relative block px-4 md:px-5\">\n<h2 class=\"font-sans font-body text-[30px] font-bold tracking-[0.01em] leading-8 mb-0 xl:text-[37px] xl:leading-[39px]\">\n          <span class=\"group-[.subscribed]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Join Our Newsletter          <\/span><br \/>\n          <span class=\"group-[.default]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Thank You For Joining!          <\/span><br \/>\n        <\/h2>\n<p class=\"text-[27px] mb-3.5 font-bold text-accentLight tracking-[0.01em] leading-[29px] font-sans xl:text-[37px] xl:leading-[39px]\">\n          <span class=\"group-[.subscribed]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Original reporting. 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Delivered to you.          <\/span><br \/>\n          <span class=\"group-[.default]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Will you take the next step to support our independent journalism by becoming a member of The Intercept?          <\/span>\n        <\/p>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/join.theintercept.com\/donate\/now\/?referrer_post_id=518257&amp;referrer_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheintercept.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Fice-minneapolis-mental-health-human-rights-watch%2F&amp;source=web_intercept_20241230_Inline_Signup_Replacement\" class=\"group-[.default]:hidden border border-accentLight text-accentLight font-sans px-5 py-3.5 inline-flex items-center gap-3 text-[20px] font-bold\" data-action=\"handleDonate\"><br \/>\n          Become a member          <span class=\"font-icons icon-TI_Arrow_02_Right\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-sans text-accentLight text-[10px] leading-[13px] text-balance [&amp;_a]:text-accentLight [&amp;_a]:font-bold [&amp;_a:hover]:underline group-[.subscribed]:hidden\">\n<p>By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/terms-use\/\">Terms of Use<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END-BLOCK(newsletter)[0] --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-near-total-impunity\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cNear-Total Impunity\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Described by Trump administration officials as the <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/02\/09\/ice-minneapolis-legal-observers-abduction\/\">largest immigration enforcement operation<\/a> in history, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleenbrown.com\/how-a-burmese-documentary-filmmaker-was-forced-into-hiding-during-minnesotas-ice-crackdown\/\">crackdown in the Twin Cities<\/a> began in <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/12\/31\/nick-shirley-videos-minnesota-somali-day-cares-fraud-claims\/\">December<\/a> and stretched into February. Thousands of officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol conducted roving arrest operations throughout the area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 4,000 immigrants were arrested during Metro Surge. At roughly 100 arrests per day, it was the highest per capita arrest rate in the country; 64 percent of immigrants arrested in the campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/03\/30\/ice-minnesota-criminal-records-data-arrests\/\">had no criminal record<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn Minnesota, US citizens and immigrants alike were racially profiled in the ordinary course of their day \u2014 approached by federal agents while driving, while at work, or while shoveling snow,\u201d the report said. \u201cMinnesota residents of Somali and Latin American descent were notably targeted, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of these communities are US citizens or have green cards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A hotline run by the National Lawyers Guild recorded 524 cases of the U.S. citizens detained during the surge, though the figure is believed to be a significant undercount. A survey by the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California, San Diego earlier this year found that nearly a third of Minneapolis residents experienced an interaction with federal agents; of those interactions, nearly half occurred \u201cat or near a school, healthcare facility, childcare facility, courthouse, or place of worship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new report follows a fresh tally from Minneapolis officials, announced last week, estimating that Metro Surge cost the city nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/operation-metro-surge-economic-impact-minneapolis\/601855110\">$700 million<\/a>. A nonprofit serving tenants in Minnesota described the economic fallout as a \u201ccrisis,\u201d the Human Rights Watch report said, with an 85 percent increase in people seeking rent payment assistance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-right\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIf I told you every time ICE was near a school, you\u2019d stop reading my messages.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one Minnesota school district, attendance dropped by nearly a third during the government operation. At least 14 incidents of immigration enforcement reported at or near campuses, including the arrest of a preschool teacher, a special education staff member, and a parent at a school bus stop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf I told you every time ICE was near a school,\u201d the district\u2019s superintendent told Human Rights Watch, \u201cyou\u2019d stop reading my messages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Considering the sweeping impacts of the crackdown, Human Rights Watch is calling for an overhaul of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and Border Patrol; congressional investigations into the actions of officials involved in the operation; legislation to prohibit immigration arrests at sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals; and a host of other reforms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To date, the report said, \u201cThe many abuses committed by federal agencies during Operation Metro Surge have so far been met with near-total impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>#Suicide #Helpline #Calls #Doubled #ICE #Minneapolis #Surge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than six months after fed&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[246],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31397"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}