Minnesota Star Tribune's Visual Coverage of ICE Operations in Minneapolis

The Minnesota Star Tribune's photography team, led by assistant managing editor Katie Rausch, extensively documented Operation Metro Surge, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiative in Minneapolis and St. Paul beginning in December 2025. The deployment involved approximately 3,000 federal agents and resulted in significant community protests and tragic incidents, including the deaths of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti during demonstrations. The newspaper's eleven staff photographers, including Richard Tsong-Taatarii and Alex Kormann, captured daily operations, protests, and community impacts, publishing a visual record titled '31 Days in Minnesota' on February 7, 2026. The coverage emphasized safety protocols, ethical considerations for documenting vulnerable populations, and collaboration with citizen-generated content. The story gained national attention, with photographers from publications like The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker also contributing reportage.