League of Women Voters to host St. Cloud program on immigration enforcement impacts

(KNSI) – A public program in St. Cloud this week will examine how recent federal immigration enforcement has affected the local community.

The League of Women Voters of St. Cloud Area will host “Deportation: The Economic Impacts, both Nationally and in Minnesota” on Wednesday, May 13th at 1:00 pm in the Bremer Room at the Great River Regional Library, 1300 West St. Germain Street. The event is in person only and is free to attend.

Organizers say the program will address how Operation Metro Surge has affected communities beyond the Twin Cities, including the St. Cloud area. The operation began in Minnesota in December 2025 and assigned more than 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to carry out federal deportation orders.

According to the League, the program will also examine tax revenue collected from undocumented immigrants and the financial effects on industries including food, construction, housing, hospitality, health care and manufacturing. Discussion will reference H.R.1, signed into law in July 2025, which allocated $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border protection.

More information is available on the League of Women Voters of St. Cloud Area website.

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