The State of Minnesota, flanked by leaders from its two largest cities, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, seeking to halt a massive federal immigration crackdown that officials say has terrorized communities and resulted in the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident.
The legal action, joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul, targets the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the federal agency is violating the First Amendment and other constitutional rights. The coalition is requesting a temporary restraining order to either stop the enforcement surge entirely or severely restrict its operations.
The lawsuit comes amid rising tensions and nationwide protests sparked by the recent death of a Minneapolis woman at the hands of a federal officer during the operation. RELATED: New Graphic POV Video Released In Deadly Minneapolis ICE Shooting
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the filing, characterizing the federal presence as an occupation rather than law enforcement.
“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and it must stop,” Ellison told reporters at a news conference. “These poorly trained, aggressive and armed agents of the federal state have terrorized Minnesota with widespread unlawful conduct.”
At the heart of the complaint is the accusation that the Republican administration is weaponizing immigration enforcement to target Minnesota—a Democratic stronghold—for political reasons, thereby infringing on free speech rights.
RELATED: ICE Sweeps Minnesota: Convicted Murderers, Child Predators Arrested Amid Heated Tension
Federal officials, however, have doubled down on the scope of the mission. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) described the current surge as its largest enforcement operation in history.
DHS officials stated they are deploying more than 2,000 immigration officers to the region and reported that over 2,000 arrests have been made since the operation began in December.
The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the conflict between the state’s Democratic leadership and the White House, moving the battle from public rhetoric into the federal courts.
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