Friday, February 13, 2026

The immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to mass detentions, protests and two deaths is coming to an end, border czar Tom Homan said Thursday. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that he expected Operation Metro Surge, which started in December, to end in “days, not weeks and months,” based on his conversations with senior Trump administration officials. “As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said at a news conference. “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” he continued. Federal authorities say the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps focused on the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area have led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people. While the Trump administration has called those arrested “dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” many people with no criminal records, including children and U.S. citizens, have also been detained. “The surge is leaving Minneapolis safer,” Homan said. . “I’ll say it again, it’s less of a sanctuary state for criminals.” Homan announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota immediately, but that still left more than 2,000 on Minnesota’s streets. Homan said Thursday that the drawdown began this week and will continue next week. He said he plans to stay in Minnesota to oversee the drawdown. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he had a “positive meeting” with Homan on Monday and discussed the potential for a further drawdown of federal officers. Walz said he had no reason not to believe Homan’s statement last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota immediately, but the governor added that that still left 2,300 on Minnesota’s streets. Homan at the time cited an “increase in unprecedented collaboration” resulting in the need for fewer federal officers in Minnesota, including help from jails that hold deportable inmates.

Minnesota Weather Meteorologists are forecasting a very nice Valentine's Day and President's Day weekend with temps in the 40s, 50s and even 60s in parts of Minnesota this weekend with plenty of sunshine into next Tuesday. However, they are also forecasting a large weather system Tuesday night through Thursday night bringing rain on Tuesday and snow in most of the state next Wednesday and Thursday with possible accumulations with temps in the 20s and 30s meaning heavier wet snow and sloppy conditions are possible. Again the forecast could change as we head into next week. Stay tuned to Little Falls Radio for the latest weather details with the nice weather and the not so nice future weather.  

A three-vehicle crash sent a Sartell teenager to the hospital Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened at around 3:45 p.m. at the intersection of Riverside Avenue North and 27th Street North in LeSauk Township.  The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says 18-year-old Matthew Mrozek of Sartell was heading north on Riverside Avenue North when his SUV struck the rear end of a northbound Chevy Equinox that was turning left onto 27th Street. Mrozek's Subaru Forester then entered the southbound lane and hit a Lincoln Navigator head-on. Mrozek suffered a facial injury and was evaluated by the Sartell Fire Department before being taken by family to the hospital. The driver of the Equinox, 17-year-old Avery Kane of Sartell, was evaluated at the scene by Mayo Ambulance and then cleared. The driver of the Navigator, 46-year-old Cynthia Zinniel of Grey Eagle, was not hurt.

A St. Cloud man faces a felony charge of threats of violence after he allegedly tried to burn down a house. St. Cloud Police were called to the 700 block of 27th Avenue North just after 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The woman who called told police there was a man outside of their residence with a can of lighter fluid and was actively trying to light the house on fire. Police arrived and found 23-year-old Asad Abdi Keynan standing behind a tree wearing blue medical gloves. They say that at his feet were more gloves and a container of lighter fluid. Officers say as they were placing Keynan under arrest, they smelled a strong odor of lighter fluid on him. Court records allege officers observed several spots around the house that were wet and smelled like lighter fluid. A second woman in the home said she had gone to the front door to wait for a food delivery and saw Keynan pouring what appeared to be lighter fluid on the house. The woman said Keynan accidentally poured the accelerant on his hand, which caught fire when he lit the lighter. Police say they later recovered a partially burned blue glove outside the home. When the first woman went to the door, she also said Keynan had repeatedly tried to ignite the lighter as she called 911. The criminal complaint does not indicate a motive behind the alleged incident.

One person was injured in a two-vehicle crash in Stearns County. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened on Wednesday at about 6:20 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 23 and County Road 49 near Cold Spring. A 17-year-old girl from Glencoe was driving a car south on Highway 23 when it collided with a Jeep heading north that was attempting to turn left. The 17-year-old was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  Her passenger, a 12-year-old girl from Glencoe, was not hurt. The driver of the Jeep, 48-year-old Michael Vogt of Cold Spring, was not hurt. The Minnesota State Patrol was assisted by Cold Spring Police and Mayo Ambulance.