What data has ICE released on arrests and convictions during Operation Metro Surge?

1. What headline numbers has ICE/DHS put forward

DHS/ICE has repeatedly given rolling totals to characterize the operation: early statements claimed “more than 400” arrests of “pedophiles, rapists, and violent thugs” ^[1], later public affairs posts and media briefings cited more than 2,000 and even 2,400 arrests since the surge began ^{[3] [2]}, and DHS told media there were “more than 1,360 individuals currently in custody” for whom ICE was calling on local officials to honor detainers ^[5].

2. What individualized data has been published

Beyond headline counts, DHS/ICE has published named lists and short criminal-history summaries for many arrestees — often labeling them “worst of the worst” and enumerating prior convictions such as sexual abuse of a minor, drug trafficking, domestic violence, armed robbery and aggravated assault (examples published by DHS/ICE and republished by local and national outlets) ^{[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]}.

3. How many people are on the “worst of the worst” lists and how detailed are entries

State-specific tallies show DHS highlighted a subset it calls the “worst” — Fox 9 reported 212 convicted individuals listed on the DHS website for Minnesota, which DHS paired against its larger arrest totals to argue about the operation’s focus ^[3]. Individual profile entries vary in detail: some include prior convictions, final orders of removal and the year of removal, while others are brief assertions of gang membership or conviction types ^{[8] [9]}.

4. Claims about repeat offenders and extreme conviction counts

DHS/ICE and affiliated press releases have amplified anecdotes — for instance citing someone with “24 criminal convictions” as emblematic of the operation’s targets — and listing names tied to past murder, homicide, sex-offense and gang convictions in their roll calls ^{[11] [5]}. Wikipedia and federal outlets have repeated those claims as part of the public record of the operation ^{[11] [5]}.

5. Independent reporting that complicates the ICE narrative

Local reporting and public records checks have raised caveats: KSTP and MPR documented that at least some individuals DHS touted as arrested during the surge were handed over to ICE by state prisons before the surge began, and that some ICE characterizations did not match court filings (for example, a domestic-assault claim that was dismissed in court records) ^{[12] [4]}. Valley News Live and regional outlets noted DHS released details on specific weekend arrests (ten names and summaries), illustrating the mix of granular disclosure and disputed context ^[13].

6. What ICE has not fully released or what remains unclear

ICE and DHS have not published a comprehensive, independently verifiable dataset that aligns each arrest to court records, charging documents, dates of prior convictions, or the precise timeline tying transfers to the Operation Metro Surge start date; instead the agency’s public record is a patchwork of press releases, named profiles and headline tallies, leaving gaps for independent verification ^{[1] [3] [8]}. Where court records or local reporters have checked, discrepancies and prior custody transfers emerge ^{[12] [4]}.

7. The broader context and competing perspectives

DHS/ICE frames the released data to justify the surge and highlight violent offenders and gang members arrested ^{[9] [7]}, while local officials, civil-rights groups and courts have pushed back — citing civil liberties concerns, lawsuits and injunctions limiting tactics against protesters and observers — and journalists have flagged instances where ICE’s timeline or characterization is incomplete ^{[14] [4]}.