Minnesota Immigration Crackdown: A Federal Judge to Hear Arguments on Temporary Halt
A federal judge is set to hear arguments on whether to temporarily halt the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which has led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers. The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer. The recent shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol officer has added urgency to the case.
Arguments and Requests
The state and cities have substantially added to their original request, seeking to restore the state of affairs that existed before the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge on December 1. They are asking U.S. District Judge Kathleen Menendez to order federal law enforcement agencies to reduce the numbers of officers and agents in Minnesota to levels before the surge, while allowing them to continue to enforce immigration laws within a long list of proposed limits.
Justice Department attorneys have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous” and argued that “Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement.” They asked the judge to reject the request or at least stay her order pending an anticipated appeal. Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison plans to personally attend the hearing, which is set for Monday morning in federal court in Minneapolis.
Implications and Support
The case has implications for other states that have been or could be targets of intensive federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorneys general from 19 states plus the District of Columbia, led by California, filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota. They argued that if the federal government’s actions are left unchecked, it will be emboldened to continue its unlawful conduct in Minnesota and repeat it elsewhere.
Judge Menendez is the same judge who ruled in a separate case that federal officers in Minnesota can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities. Another federal judge, Eric Tostrud, issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to Saturday’s shooting.
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