State officials in Minnesota have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a broad immigration enforcement operation unfolding across the Minneapolis region. The legal action was submitted Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and comes shortly after a fatal incident involving federal immigration enforcement. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Macklin Good while she was inside her vehicle blocking a roadway during the enforcement surge.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison addressed the situation during a press conference, stating that federal agents involved in the operation have arrested peaceful bystanders, detained U.S. citizens, and deployed chemical irritants against demonstrators and others engaged in activity protected under the First Amendment. According to Ellison, some of these incidents occurred near sensitive locations, including outside a local high school. The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the Trump administration to end what state officials describe as an unlawful immigration crackdown within Minnesota.
The complaint alleges that the federal government has carried out what it characterizes as aggressive and unconstitutional tactics. “Thousands of armed and masked DHS agents have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids and carry out dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional stops and arrests in sensitive public places, including schools and hospitals—all under the guise of lawful immigration enforcement,” the lawsuit states. It further claims that immigration agents have engaged in racial profiling during these operations.
The Department of Homeland Security rejected those allegations. In a statement, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused Ellison of “prioritizing politics over public safety” and denied claims of racial profiling. McLaughlin said that law enforcement actions are based on reasonable suspicion, adding, “Law enforcement uses ‘reasonable suspicion’ to make arrests, as protected under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” She also defended the administration’s approach, saying, “President Trump’s job is to protect the American people and enforce the law — no matter who your mayor, governor, or state attorney general is. That’s what the Trump administration is doing; we have the Constitution on our side on this, and we look forward to proving that in court.”
More than 2,000 federal immigration agents are currently operating in Minnesota, with officials indicating that the number could continue to rise. On Monday, an NPR reporter observed immigration agents driving throughout Minneapolis and questioning individuals about their immigration status, including in the parking lots of large retail stores. Witnesses reported agents asking questions such as, “Are you a green card holder? Do you have it on you?”
