Federal Judge Rejects Dem-Led Bid To Limit ICE Enforcement in Minneapolis
A federal judge on Saturday declined Minnesota’s bid to temporarily stop the Trump administration’s large-scale immigration enforcement operation in the state, rejecting the request for an immediate pause as the lawsuit moves forward.
Minnesota, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed the lawsuit in federal court, seeking a preliminary injunction to halt Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of immigration agents to the Twin Cities region. State officials argued the surge exceeded federal authority and violated state sovereignty, particularly after the controversial deaths of two individuals during enforcement actions.
U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, a Biden appointee, ruled that the plaintiffs did not meet the high legal standard required to freeze the operation, saying they failed to show they were likely to succeed on the merits of their constitutional claims. The judge noted in her written decision that the state’s arguments were insufficient to warrant the extraordinary relief of a preliminary injunction while the case continues.
“Plaintiffs ask the Court to extend existing precedent to a new context where its application is less direct — namely, to an unprecedented deployment of armed federal immigration officers to aggressively enforce immigration statutes,” Menendez wrote.
“None of the cases on which they rely have even come close,” the judge added.
In her ruling, Menendez also acknowledged the significant impacts the surge has had on communities, including incidents that have drawn widespread public attention, but she emphasized that the court was not making a final determination on the legality of the operation itself.
Minnesota officials, including Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, expressed disappointment in the decision and signaled plans to continue pursuing the lawsuit. They have argued the enforcement effort has disrupted residents’ lives and poses constitutional problems.
“We’re obviously disappointed in the court’s ruling today, but this case is in its infancy and there is much legal road in front of us, so we’re fighting on,” Ellison said in a statement. “We will continue to protect Minnesotans and raise the critical legal and constitutional issues at stake, and we will continue to be unrelenting in doing so.”
Federal authorities defended the operation as lawful immigration enforcement and said the ruling allows the effort to proceed. The enforcement surge, which began late last year, has been a flashpoint in debates over federal authority and immigration policy nationwide.
“Another HUGE @TheJusticeDept legal win in Minnesota just now: a Biden-appointed district judge denied Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s attempt to keep ICE out of Minnesota,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote Saturday on social platform X.
“Neither sanctuary policies nor meritless litigation will stop the Trump Administration from enforcing federal law in Minnesota,” she added.
The case comes on the heels of a second deadly shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis. Last month, residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti were both shot and killed during immigration enforcement operations after confronting or impeding officers. Both of those incidents are under investigation.
The shootings have led Democrats to call for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to either resign or be impeached, though she has refused to step down and President Trump has expressed confidence in her.
“I think she’s done a very good job,” Trump said this week. “The border is totally secure.”
Noem shared a video Friday highlighting Americans killed by illegal immigrants, saying the victims represent “who we fight for” as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement.
“We are deporting criminals from America so that no family will have to suffer a tragedy like this ever again,” Noem wrote in a post on X alongside the 46 second video, which featured dozens of victims.
