"Operation Metro Surge” Ends & Colony Ridge Caves | 2.13.26

Summary

Morning Wire – “Operation Metro Surge” Ends & Colony Ridge Caves

Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Podcast: The Daily Wire – Morning Wire

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on three major topics: the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement shift in Minnesota (the end of “Operation Metro Surge”), the breakdown and implications of the controversial Texas settlement with Colony Ridge, and the looming Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse amid heated immigration debates in Congress. The hosts, joined by reporters and experts, unpack these complex issues, provide context, and share perspectives from political figures on both sides of the aisle.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Operation Metro Surge Ends in Minnesota

• Context: ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is drawing down its high-profile surge in Minnesota after multiple weeks of action.
• Reporter: Ginny Terre (Immigration Reporter)
• Trump administration: The pullback is not a retreat from the promise of mass deportations; standard ICE operations will continue.
• Local Response: Minnesota Democrats claim victory, crediting community activism and ICE watchdog groups.
• ICE’s Strategy: According to Tom Homan, the shift comes after securing unprecedented local law enforcement cooperation. Existing ICE presence (150 officers) remains, with a renewed focus on serious criminals and fraud investigations.

Notable Quote:

“We’re prioritizing those who are the biggest threat to our community: the rapists, the murderers, the child molesters. But I’ll say it again: President Trump made a promise of mass deportation, and that’s what this country’s going to get.”
— Tom Homan, Border Czar, [04:14]

• Democratic Perspective:
  • Senator Amy Klobuchar insists the fight is ongoing until ICE is overhauled and funding is changed.
    Quote:

  “We did not blink, and yet it is not over. Because … there must be accountability, for the deaths of Renee and Alex, but there also must be accountability for all of the other damage they did, economic harm to our state. And now, until they are overhauled and … this enormous funding … changes, we do not know where they're going to go next.”
  — Senator Amy Klobuchar, [06:07]

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2. DHS Funding Lapse & Congressional Immigration Debate

• Reporter: Cameron Arcand (Political Reporter)
• Status: DHS is facing an imminent funding pause. Negotiations over immigration reform stall; Democrats and Republicans at odds.
• Democratic Demands: End to ICE agent masking, eliminating roving patrols, and—critically—shifting from administrative to judicial warrants for arrests (would make enforcement significantly more difficult).
• Impact of Shutdown: Immediate effects on immigration enforcement are muted due to previous funding via the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but other DHS agencies (FEMA, TSA, Coast Guard) could see staff missing paychecks.
• Historical Parallel: Reference to the 43-day government shutdown, with disruptions at TSA.
• GOP Position: Senator John Barrasso opposes Democratic proposals to split immigration from DHS funding.

Notable Quotes:

“During the last government shutdown, we saw longer lines at TSA, people calling out sick … So when we talk about the direct impact on Americans, those are the things we could be seeing.”
— Cameron Arcand, [09:02]

• Save America Act: Passed the House; mandates nationwide voter ID and documentary proof of citizenship upon registration. Push continues in the Senate.

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3. Colony Ridge Settlement in Texas

• Reporter: Brent Scher, Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief
• Background: Colony Ridge was the fastest-growing US development, marketed directly to illegal immigrants—ads in Spanish, unconventional loans without SSNs.
• Investigative Timeline: Story broke by Daily Wire in 2023, followed by national reporting and lawsuits from the Biden administration; resolved under Trump administration and Texas.
• Settlement Details:
  • $68 million total:
    • $20 million for a new police center inside Colony Ridge (to address crime, cartel activity).
    • $50 million for infrastructure improvements (addressing flood-prone, poor land quality).
  • Housing Policy Changes: Only buyers with Texas-issued IDs or legal visas (issued since Trump took office) may purchase—effectively barring illegal immigrants.
  • Objective: To undo the formation of an illegal immigrant enclave and safeguard the community.

Notable Quote:

“The business model … was completely aimed exclusively at illegal immigrants or at least foreign populations. It was all in Spanish. They advertised unconventional bank loans where you didn't need a Social Security number. I mean, the strategy was pretty obvious and it worked.”
— Brent Scher, [11:42]

• DOJ/Federal Statements: Harmeet Dhillon pledges ongoing pursuit of similar schemes; Texas AG Ken Paxton focuses on halting de facto illegal immigrant communities.
• Implications: Major policy precedent; possible positive resolution for affected Texan communities.

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4. Brief Update: Nancy Guthrie Case

• Reporter: Lyndon Blake
• Details: FBI offers $100,000 reward for information; suspect description released (5’9–5’10", average build, black 25L Ozark Trail hiker pack backpack).
• Ongoing Investigation: FBI seeks public tips to identify suspect. [15:49–16:26]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Operation Metro Surge ends in Minnesota: [02:26–06:44]
• Minnesota Democrats & ICE controversy: [04:48–06:44]
  • Tom Homan’s press conference (deportation priorities): [04:14]
  • Senator Amy Klobuchar statement: [06:07]
• DHS funding lapse & immigration negotiations: [06:47–11:19]
  • Key disputes in Congress: [08:05]
• Save America Act details: [10:14–11:08]
• Colony Ridge Texas settlement: [11:22–15:41]
  • Business model background and public impact: [11:42–13:29]
  • Settlement specifics: [13:35–14:56]
• Nancy Guthrie case update: [15:49–16:26]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Tom Homan on ICE priorities:
  "We’re prioritizing those who are the biggest threat to our community: the rapists, the murderers, the child molesters. But I’ll say it again: President Trump made a promise of mass deportation, and that's what this country’s going to get." [04:14]

• Senator Amy Klobuchar on ICE accountability:
  “We did not blink, and yet it is not over. … there must be accountability for all of the other damage they did, economic harm to our state.” [06:07]

• Brent Scher on Colony Ridge’s origin:
  “The business model … was completely aimed exclusively at illegal immigrants or at least foreign populations. … The strategy was pretty obvious and it worked.” [11:42]

• Cameron Arcand on DHS shutdown impact:
  “During the last government shutdown, we saw longer lines at TSA, people calling out sick … when we talk about the direct impact on Americans, those are the things we could be seeing.” [09:02]

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Episode Flow & Tone

The episode features fast-paced, fact-driven reporting with a distinct Daily Wire perspective: skeptical of Democratic immigration policy, supportive of Trump’s agenda, and stressing investigative journalism’s impact. The mood is urgent—underscoring the stakes of immigration enforcement, government funding negotiations, and major policy changes—with regular attributions and direct statements from authoritative guests and political leaders.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive, timestamped recap of the main news and expert commentary from Morning Wire's “Operation Metro Surge Ends & Colony Ridge Caves” episode.

Transcript

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[John Bickley]

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[John Bickley]

The Trump administration pulls ice out of Minnesota, declaring victory after thousands of arrests.

[Tom Homan]

Well, we're going to continue to enforce immigration law. That's what American people voted for. But it has to be a priority of criminals.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, February 13th. This is Morning Wire.

[Georgia Howe]

Homeland Security faces a funding lapse as Democrats dig in amid a heated debate on immigration.

[Harmeet Dhillon]

They're not for the safety and the security of the American people, and a no vote today will confirm that. And who pays the price?

[Brent Scher]

Well, the American people.

[John Bickley]

And a development in Texas, accused of being an illegal immigrant enclave, agrees to a $68 million settlement with the Trump administration.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to.

[Harmeet Dhillon]

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[Georgia Howe]

Border Czar Tom Homan announces the end of Operation Metro surge in Minnesota.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire immigration reporter Ginny Terre joins us now to tell us what this means for ICE operations in the Twin Cities. Morning, Jenny. So a major announcement here yesterday. What do we need to know about the situation?

[Ginny Terre]

Right. So border czar Tom Homan came out on Thursday at a press conference in Minneapolis. He's still on the ground there. He's been on the ground there since late last month. And he said that the drawdown that they had started a couple weeks ago of federal officers will be a complete drawdown in the end. ICE will still be in the area, but it's not going to be that sweeping effort like we've seen there and in other cities like Chicago or New Orleans.

[John Bickley]

So is this a sign of something larger, that the Trump administration is actually backing away from the promise of carrying out its, its historic mass deportation campaign?

[Ginny Terre]

No, this is something that Holman brought up that there's been a lot of backlash about. This is that they're pulling out, you know, thousands of these federal officers and that there won't be this footprint on the ground. But he said they're still going to have that existing ICE office in the Twin Cities. And that's about 150 ICE officers who were there before this all happened. They're based there. There's also going to be those Homeland Security Investigations agents on the ground investigating fraud. And then there's also federal officers who are there just trying to make sure that there's no anti ICE agitators going after their own. And, and Trump is supporting this. This is something that Holman brought up. He said that the president agreed with him that this drawdown should take effect and that they should pull back a little bit. But he also said that this doesn't mean the mass deportation effort is over. Here's Hillman at a press conference Thursday talking about this.

[Tom Homan]

And in the next week, we're going deploy the officers here in detail back to the home stations or other areas of the country are needed. We're prioritizing those who are the biggest threat to our community, the rapists, the murders, the child molesters. Molesters. That's the right thing to do. But I'll say it again. President Trump made a promise of mass deportation, and that's what this country's going to get.

[John Bickley]

Well, as we've seen repeatedly, Trump and Homan are pragmatists when it comes to their policies. It sounds like that's what's going on here. Now, Democrats from the state have been asking for this all along this withdrawal, what's been their response to Homan's decision?

[Ginny Terre]

Right. So a lot of calls for victory here from Democrats on the city council and at other levels of government in Minnesota. This is something they're saying was caused by those ICE Watch groups that went out and, you know, agitated and got in the way of ICE law enforcement and did so in the wake of the deaths of Alex Peretti and Renee.

[John Bickley]

Good.

[Ginny Terre]

And so they're saying that because ICE is still in the area, continue doing that, continue going out and trying to obstruct, essentially. Um, and there's. They're saying, though, that they really had an effect on what the Trump administration was doing and that that was the reason that they're pulling out there. Now, Homan said that the reason is because he brokered this unprecedented cooperation from local law enforcement and now is stationing ICE officers outside of local jails so that those law enforcement at the local level can hand over illegal immigrants and they don't have to hold them any longer than they need to, but that they're willing to do so now. And so that's reason for the drawdown, in his words. So both sides are claiming victory here. Now, Senator Amy Klobuchar talked about this, and she said that this will not be over until ICE is basically overhauled and essentially defunded. Listen to what she had to say.

[Georgia Howe]

We did not blink, and yet it is not over. Because as you point out, there must be accountability, of course, for the deaths of Renee and Alex, but there also must be accountability for all of the other damage they did, economic harm to our state. And now, until they are overhauled and then until this enormous funding that they got, changes, we do not know where they're going to go next.

[John Bickley]

We've been tracking the situation in Minnesota for weeks now with you, Ginny. So it's a fascinating turn here. We'll see if things truly do de escalate. Thank you so much for reporting.

[Ginny Terre]

Thank you.

[John Bickley]

Homeland Security seems poised to experience a lapse in government funding on Saturday at midnight amid an intense debate on immigration reforms.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire political reporter Cameron Arcand is here with the story. So, Cameron, we've been watching this deadline approaching, and now we have reached the point where we're expecting to see a DHS shutdown. What's the latest in Congress?

[Cameron Arcand]

So it looks extremely likely at this point that the Department of Homeland Security will face a lapse in federal government funding, potentially potentially up to the next week, maybe even longer. So on Thursday, there was a test vote as well as A push for maybe a stopgap funding bill to get this funding in place before the Friday deadline. But those efforts have failed. Right. And so what we're seeing now is this negotiation process is going at a very slow pace at this point. So it remains to be seen what could end up happening in terms of the actual federal immigration reform negotiations at this point. Democrats saying that they're not too pleased with what they've gotten from the White House. But we know very, very few details as to what those negotiations and what those potential reforms and room for compromises would actually look like at this point. We have almost no details that are public yet.

[Georgia Howe]

What are Democrats asking for in terms of their negotiables?

[Cameron Arcand]

So they're looking at they want an end to masking for ICE agents, no more roving patrols. Most importantly, this is going to probably become one of the key points of debate we're going to see soon is over the type warrants used for immigration arrests. Right now, the federal authorities usually use administrative warrants to execute some of these arrests. Right now, Democrats really want to push for judicial warrants, which does make this a lot more difficult to make some of these key arrests. So what we're seeing right now is some of those demands being pushed. Obviously, a lot of this centered on some of the tension that we saw in Minnesota. And we saw a drawdown today of Operation Metro Surge. So we are seeing some changes from the Trump admin on the immigration front.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, to be clear, a DHS shutdown isn't going to have a ton of immediate impact on immigration because they're receiving funding from some other sources. Can you explain that?

[John Bickley]

Correct.

[Cameron Arcand]

And a lot of people miss. The really critical part of this is that the one big beautiful bill funded the vast majority of Trump's immigration agenda with ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. Right? So this was already funded. Now, the problem is some of the other agencies that Homeland Security has, tsa, fema, the Coast Guard people could be missing paychecks if this drags out. Right. And these were not well funded or properly funded through the one big beautiful bill act. Right? So that's what we're seeing with this now. So during the last government shutdown, we saw longer lines at TSA, people calling out sick. It was a 43 day long shutdown. So when we talk about the direct impact on Americans, those are the things that we could be seeing and issues we could be encountering with this that aren't even related to immigration. But simply because this is a DHS shutdown, these are the agencies that would be most heavily impacted by this. There was a push from a Democrat to essentially say, hey, we'll fund the agency, but we're gonna split it off on the immigration stuff. And John Barrazzo said yesterday that is not happening. And he's the Senate majority whip and he holds quite a bit of power in this process.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, there was also some other major moves made in Congress this week, including with the Save America Act. That's a major election policy bill. Can you tell us what the Save America act would do?

[Cameron Arcand]

So the Save America act would require not only voter ID nationwide, it would also require, at the time when you register to vote, documentary proof of citizenship. And so that is a bit more strict than what you would maybe see in some states. Other states, like Arizona already have laws in the books that are similar to this, where you basically have to prove that you are a citizen. Democrats have said that this is going to make it harder for some people to get certain types of documents. But obviously, as I said, this law or similar policies are already in the books in many states. Now, what happened in Congress was the Save America act did pass the House this week, and now there's a push in the Senate to get that through and ultimately to President Trump's desk.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, certainly a busy week in Washington. We'll see how long the DHS shutdown lasts. A few days, we'll be fine. But if it goes, you said more than a week or so, it'll really affect people. Cameron, thanks for reporting.

[Cameron Arcand]

Thank you.

[Georgia Howe]

A settlement has been reached in the lawsuit against Colony Ridge, the massive Texas development that became a magnet for illegal immigrants.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire Editor in Chief Brent Scher has the story. Brent, great to have you back in the studio. So, look, we've been tracking this story all the way back from 2023 when Spencer Lindquist broke this story. What is the latest?

[Brent Scher]

This is the beginning of the end of this saga, or at least it could be. Some necessary background for what made Colony Ridge such a disturbing tale for the country is this place was massive. It was hailed by the developers as the fastest growing development in the whole United States. There was projected growth of over 200,000 people. By geographic size, it was bigger than Nation's capital, Washington, D.C. why was it so controversial? It wasn't just a big development. The business model that the Daily Wire helped to uncover was that its marketing strategy was completely aimed exclusively at illegal immigrants or at least foreign populations. It was was all in Spanish. They were advertising to you that you could buy land in the United States. They advertised unconventional bank loans where you didn't need a Social Security number. I mean, the strategy was pretty obvious and it worked. Illegal immigrants just poured in in Texas. So after our reporting, and again it was in 2023, there was just a ton of scrutiny on Colony Ridge. The Blaze did a great documentary on it. The Washington Post, the New York Times, they both sent reporters there to see what we saw. And ult, ultimately the Biden administration saw the same thing and they sued the development. But the interesting thing is here, the Biden administration brought the lawsuit. The Trump administration, their Department of Justice is the one settling this lawsuit with Texas's Republican Attorney General. So the, the settlement that they reached lays the groundwork not only to put an end to the scheme, but also to be a major boost for the surrounding communities around Colony Ridge who are really hurt by this, you know, fastest growing ever development that brought a hundred thousand people right to their, you know, small little town in Texas.

[John Bickley]

Now this settlement has come out. We know the details of what was agreed to here. Can you walk us through that?

[Brent Scher]

The top line is that it's $68 million not in payments to anybody, but rather payments to fix what they created in Colony Ridge. $20 million will go to building a police center inside Colony Ridge. With this massive influx of a foreign population, the cartel came. It's been a hub for violent crime, for drug activity. It's really been a nightmare in Colony Ridge. Now they're going to have, they're going to hire a new police force just for that area. So part of the settlement is to build that. The other 50 million or so dollars is to actually make infrastructure improvements inside Colony Ridge. We talked about the bad land that they were getting, flood issues, just terrible land. They are now spending $50 million to fix that. And then with the provisions, it kind of makes interesting who's going to benefit from this. Because first of all, now to buy in Texas, you can't get an unconventional loan. It has to be a traditional loan. You have to have either a Texas issued id, which illegal immigrants cannot get in Texas, or a legal visa issued since Donald Trump took office. That's a provision in there. It's a visa issue in 2025. So these are not going to go to an illegal immigrant population.

[John Bickley]

All right, so this is designed not just to fix the problems, but create a nice place for Americans to live.

[Brent Scher]

Yeah, and that's exactly how Harmeet Dhillon, who led this settlement for the Department of Justice, that's how she's framing this. She pledged that her team will always go after schemes that encourage illegal immigration. Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, I mean, he was more focused just on the illegal immigration aspect of this. He hailed deal and said that it halts the development of a de facto illegal immigrant community in Texas. So, yeah, I mean, this really may be a positive ending to a major problem in Texas.

[John Bickley]

And to give us a shout out here, this really all began with Daily Wire reporting. It's amazing to see where this story went. Brent, thanks so much for reporting.

[Brent Scher]

Yeah, of course.

[Georgia Howe]

Another story we're tracking new developments in the Nancy Guthrie case. Here with more is Daily Wire reporter Lyndon Blake.

[Lyndon Blake]

The FBI is now offering a reward up to $100,000 for any information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. The suspect that was found on her ring doorbell footage is now being described as a man approximately five' nine to five' ten with an average build. In the video that you see, he's wearing a black 25 liter Ozark Trail hiker pack backpack. This is important to help identify him. And the FBI says they are seeking any information that will help ID that person.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show now, you can watch for free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.