Federal Judge Upholds ICE Operation in Minneapolis Amid Fatal Shootings and Protests
A federal judge has denied a request by the state of Minnesota to halt a contentious federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, which has resulted in the deaths of two individuals and sparked weeks of intense protests across the city.
Legal Challenge and Constitutional Arguments
The state government, alongside the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, filed a lawsuit following the shooting death of Renee Good, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier this month. The legal action demanded an end to the Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge, a significant federal presence in the area.
Since the initial incident, a second person, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by federal agents while protesting ICE's presence, further inflaming public outrage and condemnation both locally and nationally.
Judge's Ruling and Rationale
On Saturday, federal judge Kate Menendez, who was appointed to the bench during Joe Biden's presidency in 2021, rejected the plea from the state and cities to terminate the operation and recall the approximately 3,000 ICE agents deployed.
The plaintiffs had argued that the Trump administration violated the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, which protects states' autonomy from federal overreach beyond constitutionally defined powers. However, Judge Menendez found their claims insufficient, stating they "provided no metric by which to determine when lawful law enforcement becomes unlawful commandeering".
She acknowledged the operation's "profound and even heartbreaking" impact on Minneapolis, noting evidence of racial profiling, excessive use of force, and other harmful actions by ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Despite this, she ruled that the state and cities failed to demonstrate a violation of the 10th Amendment, focusing solely on the legal threshold rather than the operation's tactics.
Political and Public Reactions
US Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated the ruling on social media, calling it a "HUGE" win for the administration and asserting that "neither sanctuary policies nor meritless litigation will stop the Trump Administration from enforcing federal law in Minnesota".
In contrast, Brian Carter, a lawyer for Minnesota, described the situation as "unprecedented in the 250-year history of our country", likening the agents to an army engaged in "widespread illegal violent conduct".
President Trump has indicated a potential de-escalation, sending border czar Tom Homan to oversee the operation, but the administration maintains that ICE agents are acting legally to uphold federal immigration laws.
Broader Context and Nationwide Protests
The ruling coincides with over 300 demonstrations planned across all 50 states and Washington DC on Saturday, organized under the banner "ICE Out of Everywhere" by the grassroots group 50501. These protests respond to a series of recent deaths involving federal immigration agents, including the Minneapolis shootings, the homicide of Geraldo Campos in a Texas detention facility, and the shooting of Keith Porter Jr by an off-duty ICE officer in Los Angeles.
So far in 2026, eight people have died in encounters with ICE, highlighting the escalating tensions and broader national debate over immigration enforcement and federal-state relations.
