Two of Minnesota’s top leaders are now openly demanding an end to the federal immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. The pressure follows a lawsuit filed by the state, Minneapolis, and St. Paul that seeks to immediately rein in ICE operations after a deadly shooting and days of unrest.
State leaders turn up the volume
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey moved from the courthouse to the microphone Monday. There, they framed the lawsuit as a necessary check on what they describe as an unchecked federal operation.
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Ellison said the state is asking the courts to stop what he called intimidation, threats, and violence tied to the deployment of thousands of armed federal agents.
“We ask the courts to end the DHS unlawful behavior in our state,” Ellison said. “The deployment of thousands of armed, masked DHS agents to Minnesota has done our state serious harm.”
Ellison described the surge as a “federal invasion” that he says must be stopped.
Frey rejected the idea that what’s happening is routine immigration enforcement.
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The Twin Cities are home to just over 377,000 foreign-born residents, or about 12% of Minnesota’s total population.
“What we are seeing right now is not normal,” Frey said. “We are not asking ICE not to do ICE things. We are asking this federal government to stop the unconstitutional conduct that is invading our streets each and every day.”
Frey also suggested that politics is at play.
“If the goal was immigration enforcement, if the goal were simply to look for people that are undocumented, Minneapolis and Saint Paul would not be the place where you would go,” Frey said. “There are countless more people that are undocumented in Florida and Texas and Utah. Why are they in these much smaller cities in the middle of the Midwest? The answer is very clear. It is politics.”
What the lawsuit seeks to block
The lawsuit asks a federal judge to impose immediate limits on DHS and ICE activity in Minnesota. That includes requiring probable cause for arrests, barring agents from threatening force, and preventing officers from pointing firearms at people who don’t pose an immediate threat.
State and city officials argue the surge violates the Constitution’s 10th Amendment and crosses state lines by staging enforcement actions on state property, including near schools, hospitals, and workplaces. The complaint also claims the operation relies on broad sweeps rather than targeted enforcement. And it says it disproportionately affects people based on race and ethnicity.
According to the Associated Press, the filing also seeks a temporary restraining order. It argues that the harm to residents, schools, and businesses is ongoing and can’t wait for a full trial.
Protests, tear gas, and arrests continue
The legal escalation comes as tensions remain high on the ground.
Federal agents have continued making arrests across the Twin Cities, even as protests have grown larger and more frequent since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent last week. Supporters of Good marched and sang through Minneapolis over the weekend.
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On Monday, federal officers fired tear gas to disperse bystanders who gathered after immigration agents rear-ended a vehicle just blocks from where Good was killed. Witnesses said a crowd formed as agents questioned the driver. Officers eventually left the scene after deploying gas.
The FBI is investigating the shooting. State investigators initially joined the probe but later said they were denied access to evidence and withdrew. Federal officials have said the state lacks jurisdiction because an ICE agent was involved.
DHS defends the operation
DHS says the surge is necessary to enforce federal law and investigate fraud. It described Operation Metro Surge as the largest enforcement action of its kind. Federal officials say more than 2,000 agents have been deployed and more than 2,000 arrests have been made since operations began.
The Trump administration has defended the tactics as lawful and necessary, pushing back against claims that the operation targets Minnesota for political reasons. In a statement, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said, “We have the Constitution on our side on this, and we look forward to proving that in court.”
Trump sharpens the rhetoric
President Donald Trump weighed in Tuesday with a social media post defending the ICE surge and attacking Minnesota’s Democratic leadership.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump framed the operation as a public safety mission, claiming ICE agents are removing “convicted murderers, drug dealers and addicts, rapists” and other dangerous criminals from Minnesota communities. He accused state leaders of welcoming the unrest for political gain and promised what he called a “day of reckoning & retribution.”
