The ICE raids are over, but some Minnesotans say they still live in fear

Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, People demonstrate against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Cinco de Mayo parade in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 2 May By Grace Eliza Goodwin Published 26 minutes ago Aliah, a 20-year-old student in Minnesota, expected her new American life to be all about studying and work after fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 and being granted asylum in the US. But earlier this year, when federal immigration enforcement agents flooded the Minneapolis area during Operation Metro Surge, she faced a much different reality. Months after the operation's official end, its effects still linger. "We're still a little scared," Aliah, who has a green card, told the BBC. Like several people in this report, she is not sharing her real or full name over safety concerns, but her identity has been verified. Her family is praying the immigration operation in Minnesota doesn't ramp up again. "We don't have anywhere to go if we go back to my country." Operation Metro Surge began last December as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, especially those that commit crimes. He linked the operation to a sprawling federal fraud investigation which found problems in the state's childcare industry, which the administration said involved mostly defendants from the state's large Somali community. But public outcry grew after federal agents shot and killed two US citizens who were protesting against the operation - Renee Good and Alex Pretti , both 37 - in separate incidents in January. By the end of February, amid a growing backlash, including from some Republicans, the administration announced it was pulling hundreds of agents out of the city. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, A protester was pinned to the ground by federal agents and a chemical irritant was sprayed directly into his face in Minneapolis in January While life has returned to some sense of normalcy, Minnesota's immigrant community says they still grapple with residual trauma, economic impacts and uncertainties surrounding immigration status. Fatima, 19, a Somali refugee who was granted asylum, returned to in-person high-school classes in April after months of online learning. While she says she's happy to be back, her fear remains. "I ask myself every day... I say, 'if they come back, what are you going to do?' I'm scared still if they come back," she said. "When you have an invasion like this, people continue to experience the ramifications of that for a long time," said Michelle Eberhard, director of refugee services at International Institute of Minnesota. "People are still living through that trauma." 'The city is just this minefield of ghosts' Image source, Reuters During the height of the operation, masked agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) patrolled streets, raided homes and schools and detained thousands. Katie, a Minneapolis teacher, led school efforts t