Tyler Schipper, an associate professor of economics and data analytics at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with CNBC about the lasting economic effects of federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities. Schipper noted that the impact of Operation Metro Surge extended beyond undocumented workers, as businesses and communities continue to experience declines in consumer spending, employment and economic activity.
From the article:
The labor force participation rate fell at a faster clip in Minnesota than it has in the U.S. overall in the last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The North Star State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in 2026 eclipsed the national average for the first time in about 19 years.
“Operation Metro Surge can sometimes be perceived as only affecting undocumented workers,” said Tyler Schipper, an economist at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota’s largest private college. “That wasn’t the case at all.”
