Minneapolis: A federal judge in Minnesota on Saturday refused to block President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration enforcement campaign in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, handing a legal victory to the administration even as tensions simmer and protests spread across the U.S. over the controversial operation.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez, an appointee of President Joe Biden, denied a request by Minnesota officials to issue an injunction that would have paused what the lawsuit calls “Operation Metro Surge” a deployment of thousands of immigration agents into the Twin Cities. The state, joined by the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, argued the surge has led to widespread civil rights violations and excessive force by federal agents.
In her written order, Judge Menendez cited a recent decision by the federal appeals court that stayed a more limited injunction against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics in the state, saying that halting the entire operation at this stage would exceed the court’s authority. She noted that the broader constitutional and legal questions raised by the lawsuit would need further adjudication as the case proceeds.
Minnesota’s lawsuit, filed on January 12 by Attorney General Keith Ellison on behalf of the state and local governments, paints a stark picture of the federal operation. It alleges federal agents have engaged in racial profiling, unlawful detentions, and heavy-handed policing that has traumatized residents and disrupted daily life. The complaint invoked constitutional protections, including the First and Tenth Amendments, and accused the federal government of exceeding its lawful authority and undermining state sovereignty.
State officials also contend that Operation Metro Surge has strained local public safety resources. Minneapolis police have reportedly logged thousands of overtime hours responding to incidents connected with the federal presence, while schools and businesses have temporarily closed amid fears of violence or confusion over law enforcement activity.
The enforcement surge has already been marred by deadly encounters that have ignited public outrage. On January 7, federal agents shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident, during a law enforcement contact that drew questions about the agents’ use of force. Later in January, another fatal shooting occurred when Alex Pretti was killed by a Border Patrol agent in a separate incident. Both deaths have become focal points for critics of the operation.
In response to Pretti’s death, the U.S. Justice Department announced a civil rights investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, with the FBI and the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division examining the actions of the federal officers involved.
Across the country, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets to condemn the federal operation and demand accountability. A “national day of action” saw protests not only in Minneapolis but also in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, with participants staging work stoppages, marches, and other forms of civil resistance. Many protesters framed their actions as part of a broader effort to protect immigrant communities and civil liberties.
The political ramifications of the Minnesota dispute extend beyond the courtroom. The Trump administration has defended the surge as a lawful execution of federal immigration policy, asserting that enforcing immigration laws is within its constitutional mandate. State leaders, however, have denounced the operation as politically motivated and disproportionate especially in a state where the non-citizen immigrant population is relatively low compared with national averages.
Saturday’s ruling does not mark the end of the legal fight. The underlying lawsuit will continue, with future hearings likely to address the substantive constitutional issues Minnesota and its cities have raised. Both sides are expected to present further arguments in coming weeks as the battle over federal immigration enforcement authority and state civil rights protections continues.