The Trump administration has launched what officials describe as the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever carried out, preparing to deploy as many as 2,000 federal agents and officers to the Minneapolis area for a sweeping crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

The surge dramatically expands the federal law enforcement footprint in Minnesota amid heightened political and community tensions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, during an interview with Newsmax, called the crackdown the agency’s “largest immigration operation ever.”

Immigrant rights groups and elected officials in the Twin Cities reported a sharp increase Tuesday in sightings of federal agents, notably around St. Paul. Numerous agents’ vehicles were reported making traffic stops, outside area businesses and apartment buildings.