Federal Judge Denies Minnesota’s Emergency Bid to Halt Operation Metro Surge
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez has denied a request by the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul for a temporary restraining order to immediately end “Operation Metro Surge.” The emergency legal effort sought to dismantle the large-scale federal enforcement campaign, which has deployed approximately 3,000 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to the Twin Cities area since early December.
In her ruling, Judge Menendez expressed skepticism regarding the court’s authority to issue a blanket halt to a federal law enforcement operation, questioning during arguments whether the judiciary could broadly dictate executive branch policy. While acknowledging the gravity of the state’s allegations regarding community impact, the court concluded that the plaintiffs did not meet the high legal burden required for an emergency injunction to stop the operation entirely.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and local officials had argued that the surge amounts to an unconstitutional “invasion” and “occupation” that violates the Tenth Amendment’s anti-commandeering doctrine. State lawyers contended that the massive federal presence drains local police resources, disrupts schools and businesses, and terrorizes lawful residents under the guise of immigration enforcement. They further alleged that the operation constitutes politically motivated retaliation by the administration against a state that opposed the President in the recent election.
In opposition, Department of Justice attorneys maintained that the federal government possesses the “conclusive and preclusive” authority to enforce immigration laws anywhere within the United States. They argued that the operation is a legitimate exercise of executive power intended to arrest undocumented immigrants with criminal records and that state “sanctuary” policies cannot override federal law enforcement duties. The federal defense dismissed the claims of political retribution as meritless and warned that judicial interference would set a dangerous precedent for federal supremacy.
Despite the denial of the emergency stop order, the broader lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Operation Metro Surge will proceed. Judge Menendez noted that while she would not end the operation immediately, the court will continue to examine the specific legal questions regarding the scope of federal authority and the allegations of civil rights violations.
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