Federal Judge Weighs in on Minnesota's Immigration Crackdown After Fatal Shootings
A federal judge in Minneapolis has heard arguments over a challenge to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown, which has led to two fatal shootings of immigrants by federal officers. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez is considering whether to grant requests from the state and cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to temporarily halt the operation.
The case comes as President Donald Trump announced that he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, and the Justice Department has called the lawsuit filed by the state and cities "legally frivolous." The lawsuit seeks a reduction in the number of federal law enforcement officers and agents in Minnesota back to pre-surge levels and limits on the scope of the enforcement operation.
Lawyers for the state and cities argued that the situation is dire enough to require the court to halt the federal government's actions. "If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don't think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future," Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said.
The judge expressed skepticism about the government's motivation behind the crackdown and questioned where the line is between violating the Constitution and the executive's power to enforce immigration law. Menendez noted that the federal requests are subject to litigation and asked whether she was being asked to decide between state and federal policies.
At one point, during a discussion on federal officers entering residences without a warrant, the judge expressed reluctance to decide issues not yet raised in a lawsuit before her. "I can't be the global keeper of all things here," Menendez said.
The case has implications for other states that may become targets of increased federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorneys general from 19 states plus the District of Columbia have filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota, warning that if left unchecked, the federal government will continue its "unlawful conduct" in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Menendez has already ruled in a separate case that federal officers cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities. An appeals court temporarily suspended this ruling, but plaintiffs have asked for an emergency order to lift the stay after the fatal shooting of an immigrant by a Border Patrol officer.
The Justice Department has called the injunction "unworkable and overly broad." In yet another case, a different federal judge has issued an order blocking the Trump administration from destroying or altering evidence related to the shooting. A hearing on this case is scheduled for Monday afternoon in federal court in St. Paul.
The state of Minnesota and cities are seeking to restore conditions that existed before the administration launched Operation Metro Surge on December 1, which has led to increased tensions between local officials and immigration authorities.
A federal judge in Minneapolis has heard arguments over a challenge to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown, which has led to two fatal shootings of immigrants by federal officers. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez is considering whether to grant requests from the state and cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to temporarily halt the operation.
The case comes as President Donald Trump announced that he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, and the Justice Department has called the lawsuit filed by the state and cities "legally frivolous." The lawsuit seeks a reduction in the number of federal law enforcement officers and agents in Minnesota back to pre-surge levels and limits on the scope of the enforcement operation.
Lawyers for the state and cities argued that the situation is dire enough to require the court to halt the federal government's actions. "If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don't think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future," Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said.
The judge expressed skepticism about the government's motivation behind the crackdown and questioned where the line is between violating the Constitution and the executive's power to enforce immigration law. Menendez noted that the federal requests are subject to litigation and asked whether she was being asked to decide between state and federal policies.
At one point, during a discussion on federal officers entering residences without a warrant, the judge expressed reluctance to decide issues not yet raised in a lawsuit before her. "I can't be the global keeper of all things here," Menendez said.
The case has implications for other states that may become targets of increased federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorneys general from 19 states plus the District of Columbia have filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota, warning that if left unchecked, the federal government will continue its "unlawful conduct" in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Menendez has already ruled in a separate case that federal officers cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities. An appeals court temporarily suspended this ruling, but plaintiffs have asked for an emergency order to lift the stay after the fatal shooting of an immigrant by a Border Patrol officer.
The Justice Department has called the injunction "unworkable and overly broad." In yet another case, a different federal judge has issued an order blocking the Trump administration from destroying or altering evidence related to the shooting. A hearing on this case is scheduled for Monday afternoon in federal court in St. Paul.
The state of Minnesota and cities are seeking to restore conditions that existed before the administration launched Operation Metro Surge on December 1, which has led to increased tensions between local officials and immigration authorities.
is totally valid. I mean, can't we find a way to balance the need for effective border security with the rights of immigrants who are just trying to make a new life for themselves? 
The whole situation feels so... tense. Like, what's the plan here? Are we just gonna keep escalating this until someone gets hurt even more? 
. This whole immigration crackdown is getting out of control and it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt again. The fact that President Trump is sending his border czar Tom Homan to the state doesn't fill me with hope 
. It just feels like he's trying to intimidate local officials into cooperating.
. That's a huge issue and I'm not sure why Judge Menendez is being hesitant to take action. I think we need more transparency and accountability from the government on this one.
. We need to hold our leaders accountable and make sure they're doing what's right, not just what's popular with certain groups of people 
.
i mean, a federal judge is actually weighing in on this crazy immigration crackdown that's resulted in fatal shootings of immigrants... it's just heartbreaking. the fact that they're questioning where the line is between violating the constitution and enforcing immigration law is so relevant right now. i'm all for keeping our republic safe, but not at the cost of human life! 
IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT THAT FEDERAL OFFICERS CAN JUST WALK INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES WITHOUT A WARRANT. AND NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO TELL US THAT WE NEED MORE FEDS IN MINNESOTA?! IT'S LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY OUR RIGHTS AS AMERICANS. 
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY JUDGE MENENDEZ IS BEING SO SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S MOTIVATIONS, CAN'T SHE SEE THAT THIS CRACKDOWN IS JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR THEM TO CONTROL PEOPLE?! 
. It makes me wonder if we're losing sight of what's truly important - our values as a society 
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. Can't we find a way to address the issues at hand without resorting to such aggressive tactics? 
. And then it hit me - have you ever noticed how some places are just really bad at handling traffic, like, what's up with that? 
. First, they announce this crackdown, and then another immigrant gets shot? It's like the government is tryin' to create a crisis so they can push through their agenda without anyone questionin' it. And now, Judge Menendez is gettin' cold feet? That's just code for "I'm not gonna rock the boat." 
. They don't want anyone talkin' about how bad this whole thing is goin' down, or they'll be the ones gettin' heat 
.
. There's gotta be more to it than that. Maybe there's some kinda backroom deal goin' on? I don't know what it is, but I'm sure it's somethin' big 
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. We're gonna see a lot more of this kind of thing as long as we don't keep speakin' out against it 
. So, let's all just stay vigilant and keep our eyes peeled for any more signs that somethin' fishy is goin' on 
!
And then there's the Justice Department sayin' all this is "legally frivolous" stuff... that don't sit right with me. Can we really afford to have our leaders play politics instead of doin' what's best for everyone involved? 
I mean, can you imagine if this was happening in your own backyard? It's like the feds are just running roughshod over people's lives without any regard for the law or their human rights. And to make matters worse, they're doing it under the guise of "immigration enforcement" but really it's just a thinly veiled attempt to exert power and control over marginalized communities 
There have been numerous reports of federal officers using excessive force against immigrants and now we're supposed to just sit back and do nothing?! 
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. We need to find a way to address our border security concerns without putting people in harm's way 
... i dont think anyone's thinking about the people affected by these shootings 
... what does the future hold for minnesota and other states if this continues? 
...
? The judge's skepticism about the government's motivations is spot on 
... let's hope she gets to the bottom of this and doesn't have to decide issues that aren't even in play yet 
The stats are crazy - in 2024, there were already over 150 reported immigrant fatalities by federal officers! 
The data is clear: Operation Metro Surge has created a crisis and the state of Minnesota needs to take action ASAP! 
and now they're trying to stop it in Minnesota 
the thing that really gets my goat is how these politicians are all about playing politics with people's lives - can't they just focus on making things better instead of fighting over who's right or wrong 