Minnesota has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that the ongoing immigration enforcement surge in the state is unlawful and unconstitutional. Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the legal action on Monday, describing the deployment of federal agents as a 'federal invasion' that has terrorised communities.
The lawsuit, brought on behalf of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St Paul, names top officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Border Patrol. It claims that the operation, which began in December, violates the First Amendment and the Tenth Amendment by overstepping federal authority and targeting political opponents.
The legal challenge follows the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent last week, an incident that sparked widespread protests. Local officials dispute the Trump administration's claim that Good was a 'lunatic' who tried to ram officers, citing video evidence that appears to show otherwise.
DHS has deployed more than 2,000 agents to Minnesota, calling it the largest immigration operation in history. In response to the lawsuit, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Ellison of prioritising politics over public safety, stating that the surge was necessary because local officials failed to enforce federal law.
The complaint argues that the operation is based on President Trump's incorrect belief that he won Minnesota in recent elections and an ongoing fraud scandal, rather than legitimate law enforcement needs. It notes that other states with larger undocumented populations, such as Utah, Texas, and Florida, have not faced similar operations, suggesting partisan motives.
Illinois and Chicago filed a similar lawsuit on Monday, accusing federal agents of acting as 'occupiers rather than officers of the law' during their operations there. The Minnesota lawsuit seeks a court order to end the surge and declare it unconstitutional.
