Federal Judge Refuses to Halt Immigration Enforcement Surge in Minnesota
A federal judge has declined to issue an emergency order stopping a massive federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, allowing the surge of agents to continue while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality proceeds. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issued the ruling on Saturday, denying a preliminary injunction requested by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The lawsuit targets “Operation Metro Surge,” an initiative by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has deployed thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to the Twin Cities area. State and local officials argued the operation violates the 10th Amendment by infringing on state sovereignty and acting as a coercive measure to force local cooperation with federal immigration policies. Plaintiffs described the surge as a “militarized” campaign involving racial profiling and unconstitutional stops, citing significant disruption to public safety, businesses, and schools.
In her decision, Judge Menendez acknowledged the “profound” impact the operation has had on the community but concluded that the state had not met the high legal bar required for a court to intervene in federal law enforcement deployment at this stage. She noted that while the state presented evidence suggesting political motivation behind the surge—specifically retaliatory rhetoric regarding “sanctuary” policies—the court could not definitively rule the operation unlawful without further litigation. The Department of Justice defended the surge as a necessary measure to apprehend criminal offenders, arguing that local restrictions on cooperation have hindered standard enforcement efforts and necessitated the increased federal presence.
Opposition to the operation remains intense. Civil rights groups and local leaders contend that the influx of federal agents has terrorized immigrant communities and resulted in excessive force, pointing to recent fatal encounters involving federal officers as evidence of the danger posed to public safety. The court’s refusal to halt the operation means agents will remain active in the state as the legal battle over the scope and authority of the federal crackdown continues.
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