Sept 22 research conference at UMN HHH on the Impacts of DHS Operations in Minnesota Works in progress welcome. Quantitative or mixed-methods multidisciplinary. Due 8/13. #CallForProposals docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Aaron Rosenthal
@aaronrosenthal.bsky.social
Research Director @northstarpolicy.org. Author of The State You See. Love MN sports = often sad. Views own.
Exciting opportunity to present research on the impact of DHS activity in MN at an upcoming convening on September 22nd. Please spread to your networks and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Documenting the Impact of DHS Activity in Minnesota: Presenter and Attendee Interest Form
Due date for presentation proposals: 11:59 pm CT, Thursday, August 13, 2026. In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began a significant, sustained agent surge in Minnesota t...
docs.google.com
New North Star Policy Action research: the federal government's pause on onshore wind energy development is putting 1,200 Minnesota construction jobs and $1.6 billion in investment at risk.
Appreciate @kstptv.bsky.social covering the report from @aaronsojourner.org and me concerning Operation Metro Surge's Impact on Minnesota's leisure and hospitality sector. We must remember this economic cost AND continue to center the human suffering caused by DHS.
5 Eyewitness News@kstptv.bsky.social · 2mo agoA new report from Northstar Policy Action said claimed Operation Metro Surge cost Minnesota 4,600 jobs, 3.8 million working hours and $71 million in lost wages over three months.
Study: Operation Metro Surge cost Minnesota an estimated 4,600 hospitality jobs in 3 months minnesotareformer.com/briefs/study...
Study: Operation Metro Surge cost Minnesota an estimated 4,600 hospitality jobs in 3 months • Minnesota Reformer
Operation Metro Surge cost Minnesota’s leisure and hospitality sector an estimated 4,600 jobs and $71 million in wages, according to a new study. The analysis of the economic fallout from the unpreced...
minnesotareformer.com
Our own @aaronsojourner.org and @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social of North Star Policy Action have published a new analysis of the economic impacts of Operation Metro Surge.
Aaron Sojourner@aaronsojourner.org · 2mo agoDHS's Operation Metro Surge hurt Minnesota's leisure and hospitality industry in Jan-Mar 2026, destroying: - 4,600 jobs, - 3.8 million work hours, - $71 million in wages. New analysis by me & @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social @northstarpolicy.org northstarpolicy.org/leisure-and-...
Proud of this work with @aaronsojourner.org to show Operation Metro Surge's effect on Minnesota's economy. Our latest focuses on what may be the most impacted industry in the state: leisure and hospitality. We must remember that beneath these numbers are thousands of stories of human suffering.
Aaron Sojourner@aaronsojourner.org · 2mo agoDHS's Operation Metro Surge hurt Minnesota's leisure and hospitality industry in Jan-Mar 2026, destroying: - 4,600 jobs, - 3.8 million work hours, - $71 million in wages. New analysis by me & @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social @northstarpolicy.org northstarpolicy.org/leisure-and-...
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...
Report: Operation Metro Surge cost Minnesota thousands of jobs in hospitality, construction • Minnesota Reformer
Federal employment data shows Minnesota lost 5,700 hospitality jobs and 4,400 construction jobs from December to February.
minnesotareformer.com
“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...
Minnesota and AI Worker Protections
YouTube video by North Star Policy Action
youtube.com
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...
What path is Minnesota going to take?
YouTube video by North Star Policy Action
youtube.com
"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...
Measuring the economic damage of Minnesota’s ICE surge is hard • Minnesota Reformer
Emerging statistics on the economic impact of Operation Metro Surge to Minnesota — $203.1 million in damage in Minneapolis, $106 million in lost wages in the Twin Cities — are based on limited data an...
minnesotareformer.com
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.
madi mcvan@madisonmcvan.bsky.social · 5mo agoreally 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 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.
North Star Policy Action@northstarpolicy.org · 5mo agoYesterday on Fox 9, our Research Director @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social, broke down what MN lawmakers can do to regulate AI and protect workers. 1 in 3 MN workers face high exposure to Generative AI yet Minnesota has not passed laws governing AI’s use in the workplace. m.youtube.com/shorts/TXUyB...
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
TCRG Webinar: the Economic Impact of Operation Metro Surge
Aaron Rosenthal and Aaron Sojourner present on "the Economic Impact of Operation Metro Surge"
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!
North Star Policy Action@northstarpolicy.org · 5mo agoYesterday on Fox 9, our Research Director @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social, broke down what MN lawmakers can do to regulate AI and protect workers. 1 in 3 MN workers face high exposure to Generative AI yet Minnesota has not passed laws governing AI’s use in the workplace. m.youtube.com/shorts/TXUyB...
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...
Aaron Rosenthal@aaronrosenthal.bsky.social · 5mo agoNew 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.
Looks like some very important research on the effect of the occupation of Minneapolis-Saint Paul
Aaron Sojourner@aaronsojourner.org · 5mo agoMany 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
The economic costs of a police state
Aaron Sojourner@aaronsojourner.org · 5mo agoMany 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
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!
Aaron Rosenthal@aaronrosenthal.bsky.social · 5mo agoNew 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.