Thursday, February 5 — Minneapolis City Council members spar over how to respond to the ongoing ICE surge in the Twin Cities, with sharp debate over whether rental assistance tied to immigration enforcement could help vulnerable residents or invite fraud. The fight comes as a new “Prosecute ICE” ice sculpture appears outside the State Capitol and federal officials confirm thousands of arrests during Operation Metro Surge, even as forces begin to scale back.

We also hear from a government attorney who bluntly criticized the immigration court system after being assigned nearly 90 cases in under a month, highlighting staffing shortages at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, two Minneapolis firefighters are recovering from burns after a morning fire in the Phillips neighborhood leaves several residents displaced.

Plus, President Trump reflects on lessons learned from the Minnesota ICE operation, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan calls the situation a man-made crisis, and we track additional local headlines, from a narrowly avoided healthcare workers strike and Anoka opening the nation’s first city-run cannabis dispensary, to Children’s Minnesota pausing gender-affirming care services and the Timberwolves making a major trade ahead of the NBA deadline.

In our Bright Spot: the Puppy Bowl returns with more adoptable, senior, and special-needs dogs than ever.

Join Johnny Kahner for this episode of 4 Things to Know.

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