A coalition of civil rights groups and law firms filed a class-action lawsuit today against the Trump administration, alleging that federal agents participating in “Operation Metro Surge” have systematically violated the constitutional rights of Minnesota residents through racial profiling and indiscriminate arrests.
The complaint, filed by the ACLU of Minnesota, the national ACLU, and several private law firms, centers on the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. The lawsuit accuses the administration of deploying thousands of federal forces who have allegedly targeted Somali and Latino communities without warrants or probable cause over the last six weeks.
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At the heart of the legal challenge is the experience of Mubashir Khalif Hussen, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen named as a plaintiff in the case.
According to court documents, Hussen was walking to lunch in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on Dec. 10, 2025, when he was intercepted by multiple masked ICE agents. Hussen claims that despite repeatedly telling the officers, “I’m a citizen,” they refused to check his identification at the scene.
The lawsuit details how agents allegedly forced Hussen into an SUV and transported him to the Whipple Federal Building. There, he was reportedly shackled and fingerprinted. He was released only after a photo of his passport card was shown to officials inside the building.
“At no time did any officer ask me whether I was a citizen or if I had any immigration status,” Hussen stated. “They did not ask for any identifying information, nor did they ask about my ties to the community… or anything else about my circumstances.”
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The plaintiffs argue that incidents like Hussen’s are not anomalies but the direct result of administration policy. The filing cites President Trump’s recent rhetoric regarding Somali immigrants—specifically comments referring to them as “garbage” and stating they should “go back to where they came from”—as a catalyst for the aggressive enforcement tactics.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs contend these actions violate the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable seizure and the guarantee of equal protection under the law.
“Federal agents’ conduct — sweeping up Minnesotans through racial profiling and unlawful arrests — is a grave violation of Minnesotans’ most fundamental rights,” said Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Minnesota. “No one, including federal agents, is above the law.”
The lawsuit seeks to represent a class of similarly situated individuals who have been subjected to what the legal team describes as “indiscriminate” stops.
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“The government can’t stop and arrest people based on the color of their skin, or arrest people with no probable cause,” said Kate Huddleston, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. She characterized the enforcement waves as “police-state tactics” that undermine basic legal principles.
Kshithij Shrinath, an attorney with Greene Espel, noted that the heavy federal presence has disrupted daily life in the Twin Cities, leaving residents fearful of being detained while commuting or running errands.
The Department of Justice has not yet issued a formal response to the filing.
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