State of Minnesota is suing the Trump administration over ICE operatives

Published at: 13/01/2026 09:12 AM

The state of Minnesota, along with the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, filed a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump over the large scale operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the state.

The legal action responds to the January 7 shooting that caused the death of Renee Nicole Good, 37, at the hands of an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

The complaint denounces that the raids, framed in the operation called “Metro Surge”, have generated a climate of fear in the community and the text states that “thousands of masked and armed agents have tormented the 'Twin Cities' carrying out militarized raids and dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional arrests in public spaces, including schools and hospitals.”

Since the operation began in December, authorities have made more than 2,000 arrests, according to Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin. However, the plaintiffs argue that these actions “seem designed to provoke community anger, sow fear and cause emotional distress,” and they accuse the federal government of acting motivated by “the desire to punish its political opponents.”

The state argues that it has “inviolable sovereign authority” to protect “the health and well-being” of its residents, and asks the court to order the immediate suspension of ICE operations in Minnesota.

During the filing of the lawsuit, the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, reaffirmed that they remain firm in this complaint against the Trump administration. “We are not going to back down (...). We are confronted with thugs and, right now, what we are asking for is court intervention to reject this unconstitutional conduct,” he said.

In addition, he noted that the local police have received “countless calls reporting the kidnapping of people” by officers without visible badges who, supposedly, have even arrested U.S. citizens.

The death of Good and the raids have sparked a wave of national mobilization, with more than 1,000 protests taking place this weekend in the United States against the Trump administration's immigration policy.

VTV/Mazo News Team