Trump Economic Approval Hits Record Low at 33 Percent

More than six months after federal agents launched Operation Metro Surge across the Twin Cities, new evidence shows the immigration crackdown inflicted severe damage far beyond street-level confrontations. A Human Rights Watch report released Thursday details how the operation drove a dramatic spike in mental health emergencies, including a 120 percent increase in calls to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota helpline and a marked rise in suicidal ideation among residents.

The findings rest on more than 130 interviews, video evidence, and government arrest records. Healthcare providers described teenagers attempting suicide after their parents were detained, with at least three known cases and one adolescent making repeated attempts. Mental health professionals reported patients struggling to attend appointments or maintain daily routines amid widespread fear of encounters with agents.

Reagan Williams, author of the report, said the goal was to document harms that extended into private life, including barriers to medical care, schooling, and basic movement through the community. The report also catalogs lethal force incidents, such as the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, alongside accounts of unlawful detentions and restrictions on public assembly.

The surge occurred under an administration already facing record-low public support. A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found only 33 percent of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of the economy, the lowest figure recorded since 2019, with 60 percent disapproving. Gas prices remain a top concern for 78 percent of households, and dissatisfaction extends even among some Republican voters.

Critics argue that aggressive interior enforcement like Metro Surge compounds economic anxieties by targeting working families and destabilizing communities already under pressure. The Human Rights Watch documentation suggests these operations produce measurable public health consequences that persist long after agents depart, affecting access to services and overall well-being in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Advocates say the report underscores the need for greater accountability and limits on enforcement tactics that sweep up noncriminal residents. The mental health data, in particular, points to ripple effects reaching into schools and clinics, where providers continue to treat trauma tied directly to the federal campaign.