Minnesota Files Lawsuit Over ‘Federal Invasion’
A protester's face is doused in water after he was pepper sprayed outside of the Bishop Whipple Federal Building, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)
The State of Minnesota, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, has filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking to block a large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation launched after the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer. The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court and includes a request for a temporary restraining order to stop or limit the enforcement effort, according to the Associated Press.
The Department of Homeland Security says it has deployed more than 2,000 immigration officers to Minnesota and has made over 2,000 arrests in Minneapolis since the operation began last month. ICE has described the action, known as Operation Metro Surge, as the largest enforcement effort in the agency’s history.
The lawsuit claims the operation violates federal law, arguing it is arbitrary and capricious because Minnesota is being targeted more aggressively than other states. While the Trump administration says the effort is focused on combating fraud, the lawsuit contends that ICE agents lack the expertise needed to investigate fraud in government programs.
State officials also argue the enforcement surge is politically motivated and amounts to retaliation against Minnesota, which they say violates the First Amendment.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison condemned the operation, calling it a “federal invasion of the Twin Cities.” He accused ICE agents of engaging in widespread unlawful conduct and said that while ICE has legal responsibilities, the agency is exceeding its authority in unconstitutional ways.
Tensions escalated earlier Monday when federal officers used tear gas to disperse a group of bystanders who gathered at the scene of a traffic accident involving immigration agents in Minneapolis. The incident occurred just blocks from where Renee Good was shot and killed last week. According to the AP, agents had rear-ended a man’s car and were questioning him when a crowd formed. After deploying tear gas, the officers left the area as people shouted insults.
The confrontation followed Good’s death on Jan. 7 and a weekend marked by additional immigration enforcement actions in the Minneapolis area. Vigils and protests were held across the country to honor Good and criticize the Trump administration’s immigration tactics.
Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, visited a memorial for Good, 37, at the location where she was shot in the head while driving her SUV. Trump administration officials have defended the ICE officer involved, stating that Good and her vehicle posed a threat. Gov. Walz and other critics have disputed that claim, citing video footage of the incident.
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