A recent Star Tribune headline declared the $15 minimum wage in the Twin Cities caused "higher pay, fewer jobs" — citing research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, pushed by the industry group Hospitality Minnesota.

The grades are in — Minnesota just got its ASCE Infrastructure Report Card, and the results aren't good. The MN Senate has a bonding bill on the table right now. This is how we change the grade. #MNLeg #MNSenate #northstarpolicyaction

Our latest analysis featured in the Minnesota Reformer: ICE is bad for business. New data show Operation Metro Surge cost Minnesota thousands of jobs, including 5,700 in hospitality and 4,400 in construction. minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/23/r...

“Most of the human cost of the past few months cannot be undone through state assistance. But the economic damage from Operation Metro Surge provides an opportunity for the state to take meaningful, reparative action.” 👏👏👏 — @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social, Research Director at NSPA Source: WCCO

NEW REPORT: State data confirms that Operation Metro Surge had a damaging impact on Minnesota’s economy, particularly for workers and businesses in the Twin Cities. northstarpolicy.org/metro-surge-...

Today we testified before the MN House Workforce, Labor & Economic Development Committee on our research on Generative AI’s impacts on MN workers. The testimony comes as lawmakers introduce bills to set guardrails for AI in the workplace. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh4B...

800,000 Minnesota workers are at high risk of exposure to generative AI. AI is rapidly reshaping workplaces but Minnesota lawmakers have yet to pass any AI regulations or worker protections. Our Research Director outlined the paths for moving forward on WCCO: www.youtube.com/shorts/lsCLK...

"Marching alongside of you has been the greatest joy of my life." The Pitt star Noah Wyles gives a big shoutout to labor unions during his SAG Actor Awards speech 👏

really enjoyed this data piece from my colleague @alyssachen.bsky.social digging into the early estimates of the economic impact of operation metro surge: minnesotareformer.com/2026/03/02/m...

the early estimates of economic damage from the surge are based on some broad assumptions and back-of-the-napkin math. a more complete picture will emerge over the next year or so — but @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social says lawmakers can't wait that long to send relief.

The world could be such a nice place if we allowed it. It's all so goddamn unnecessary. There's no need for any of it. It's so beautiful here. It should be so cool to be alive

@wailinwong.bsky.social @planetmoney.bsky.social @npr.org featured @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social's & my estimate of DHS causing $106 million in lost wages for MSP metro workers as her Indicator of the week. Thanks for doing such a great job communicating the results. www.npr.org/2026/02/27/n...

I am so proud of the team at @northstarpolicy.org. Churning out ground breaking research on the taxpayer cost of Operation Metro Surge, the economic devastation wrought, the threat posed by AI to working Minnesotans. Testifying at the Capitol, everywhere in the media.

TCRG Webinar: @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social and @aaronsojourner.org on the Economic Impact of Operation Metro Surge. WebEx, March 18, 12 Noon. RSVP at tcrgmarch18.eventbrite.com

Great conversation on aligning AI innovation with worker welfare in Minnesota. Hoping that the three D's of AI regulation (displacement, decision-making, and digital surveillance) catch on and lead us to some commonsense reforms!

Social Indicators of the Surge — Labor Edition @aaronsojourner.org & @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social show how the DHS surge reduced the # of employees working, hours worked, and # of businesses open in Mpls-Saint Paul, costing an estimated $106 million in lost wages. northstarpolicy.org/labor-outcom...

Looks like some very important research on the effect of the occupation of Minneapolis-Saint Paul

The economic costs of a police state

BREAKING: In just six weeks, Minnesota workers lost over $100 million in wages due to Operation Metro Surge. This means millions of dollars didn’t make it to Minnesota families and small businesses, a conservative estimate that likely understates the full impact.

The DHS agent surge in Minnesota reduced employees working in the MSP metro by 2.8%, total hours worked by 1.9%, and open business locations by 1.7% through mid-February. Estimated impact: $106 million in lost wages. new research from @aaronsojourner.org and @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social

This is such important work, and practically in real time, which is very important. Also, shows economists can apply our skills to aid the resistance!

Many workers have missed shifts without jobs being destroyed making it challenging to measure labor impacts with conventional sources. We use real-time daily data from Homebase to measure impacts. Thanks to UChicago and Homebase for making the data available. #EconSky #NumbersDay

New research with @aaronsojourner.org of the @upjohninstitute.bsky.social posted on @northstarpolicy.org's blog. We find that Operation Metro Surge caused declines in employees working, hours worked, and businesses open, leading to an estimated $106 million wage loss for Twin Cities workers.

Our new report makes three things clear: 1. AI plays an increasingly large role in MN workers' lives. 2. Workers are anxious about this role and believe new regulations are needed. 3. MN policymakers need to pass commonsense laws to align AI innovation with worker welfare.

The damage compounds: • Missed paychecks reduce consumer spending.
• Child care disruptions prevent parents from working.
• Housing construction declines worsen affordability.
• Food processing slowdowns affect Minnesota farmers.

Our own @aaronsojourner.org and @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social of North Star Policy Action have published an analysis on the economic impacts of Operation Metro Surge.

New analysis w/ @aaronsojourner.org finds consumer spending declined by 2.9% in MN in Jan 2026 due to Operation Metro Surge, resulting in a loss of $626 million. Bigger losses in food and accommodation spending (3.8% in MN, 4.1% in Hennepin County). northstarpolicy.org/impact-metro...

Twin Cities' (Hennepin+Ramsey) counties filings for evictions up 40% in Jan 2026 over 2023-24 baseline @evictionlab.bsky.social. In raw counts, +9% to 1,330 in Jan 2026 from 1,220 in prior month. In baseline years (2023 & 2024), filings lower in Jans than Decs. evictionlab.org/eviction-tra...

Operation Metro Surge may be ending but the long-term human and economic impacts are still unfolding. Federal officials have announced that immigration enforcement in Minnesota will draw down, but ICE activity remains in the state and it’s not yet clear how conditions on the ground are changing.

THEY ARE FILMING EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING THEY ARE PROUD OF IT THEY ARE POSTING IT TO SOCIAL MEDIA

You love to see it

Absolutely surreal to continue to hear about drawdowns and lowered temperatures and things calming down in Minneapolis when, as far as I can tell, literally nothing has changed on the ground

Tighten rules on warrants? Body cameras? HOW ABOUT A SIGNED JUDICIAL WARRANT FOR EVERYTHING! HOW ABOUT THEY LEAVE MINNESOTA AND NEVER CARRY OUT ANYTHING AKIN TO MINNESOTA IN ANY OTHER STATE. I DON'T WANT BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF THE ATROCITIES I WANT THEM TO STOP. I AM SO FUCKING FURIOUS!!!!

This is Minneapolis. Collective trauma, and neighbors helping neighbors. This is our 24/7 every day lives right now, not just a 10 second news clip.

It was great talking to @ddayen.bsky.social for this article, which makes the great point that not only has MN's CEO response to the occupation been pathetic, these corporations all put their resources behind the bill that enabled it. They got us into this mess, they can pay to get us out.

A big thanks to @ddayen.bsky.social of the @prospect.org for taking the time to talk to @northstarpolicy.org about the damage being done to Minnesota workers and businesses by ICE, and the complicity of so many MN-based corporations in this campaign of terror.

please remember that no matter how many “ICE is losing in MN” articles you read today, there is still a very real, urgent, ongoing crisis in Minnesota. people need food and they need rent money. that has not changed.

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 I'm going to keep banging this drum 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

The terror and violence are bad enough on their own. But to think of all of the things we are not funding because of the money flowing to support that terror and violence...

Not sure who is making Greg Bovino’s travel arrangements out of Minnesota but heads up babies in laps don’t need to buy their own seat

Yesterday, full of beauty. Today, another absolute horror Feds killed a guy who worked as a nurse at local VA hospital As after Good's killing, they're again engaged in a cover up Setting 1000s of over-armed, over-armored, masked secret police loose makes us less safe & less free #ICEOut

Stand up wherever you are iceoutforgood.org?fbclid=IwY2x...

"I could hear screaming and crying from deeper in the facility. There was an intercom, but requests for water and bathroom breaks were ignored. So I pounded on the one-way mirror and asked agents passing by for assistance." www.startribune.com/opinion-i-sp...

Chauntyll Allen’s arrest, along with Nekima Levy Armstrong’s, is a dangerous escalation in the federal assault on MN. It’s an attack on our Constitution and an attack on Black women leading in the Twin Cities. Our community & local government will continue to fight against this in every way we can.

In addition to the horrendous human cost, the ICE occupation in Minnesota is also exacting a huge economic cost. At least $18 million in taxpayer expense EACH WEEK and untold millions in lost economic output for the state. ICE OUT.

They are targeting children because they are trying incite violence. I have talked to many journalists today, and they all made the same observation: Border Patrol and ICE have been rolling around with maximum aggression, lingering for ages as crowds, gather, seemingly trying to cause a riot.

Cannot believe it's still somehow getting worse...

I went to Minneapolis last week. What I saw was horrifying and inspiring in equal measure. Gift link to my latest column: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...