Minneapolis is bracing for continued federal immigration enforcement as a judge declined to immediately halt “Operation Metro surge” on Saturday, February 17, 2024. The decision allows the controversial operation to proceed while legal challenges play out, despite acknowledging the significant disruption it’s causing to communities across the state.
What’s happening in Minnesota? A sweeping federal immigration enforcement operation is continuing despite concerns about its impact on daily life and accusations of overreach.
U.S.District Judge Katherine Menendez denied a temporary restraining order sought by Minnesota officials. The operation,which began in December,has led to over 3,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants. Recent events, including the deaths of two U.S. citizens during encounters with federal agents and the arrest of a former CNN anchor, have heightened tensions. The judge acknowledged potential harms like racial profiling and excessive force, but cited the goverment’s interest in enforcing federal law.
Judge Menendez,while recognizing the “profound and even heartbreaking” consequences for Minnesota residents,stated that blocking the operation would also inflict “significant harm on the government.” The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed the importance of allowing federal law enforcement to operate without judicial interference.
Constitutional Concerns Remain Unresolved
Minnesota officials contend that Operation Metro Surge violates the 10th Amendment by attempting to coerce the state into abandoning its “sanctuary policies” and increasing cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Judge Menendez, though, found these arguments insufficient to warrant an immediate injunction, noting that the evidence of coercive intent wasn’t “one-sided.”
The state argued the operation was being carried out in “brazenly lawless ways” to force changes in state and local law, but the judge rejected this claim at this stage of the legal proceedings.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.
A: Minnesota has adopted policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, often referred to as “sanctuary policies,” which the federal government alleges hinder enforcement efforts.
The operation began in December, with the deployment of 3,000 federal immigration agents to the Twin Cities area, resulting in the arrest of more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The situation escalated this month with the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37, both shot and killed by federal immigration authorities in separate incidents. These shootings sparked daily protests and widespread condemnation. Pretti, an ICU nurse, was initially labeled a “domestic terrorist” by the administration before officials launched an examination into the shooting.
On Thursday, February 15, 2024, border czar Tom Homan announced a planned “drawdown” of the operation, following a phone conversation between President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. However, the following day, federal authorities arrested former CNN anchor Don Lemon in connection with a protest he was covering in St. Paul.
Adding to the political friction, President Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday, February 17, 2024, calling Gov. Walz “corrupt” and Rep. Ilhan omar, D-Minn.,a “scammer,” after she was attacked at a town hall event earlier this week.
The impact of the operation extends beyond arrests and political rhetoric. Reports indicate that daily life has been considerably altered for some Twin Cities residents. Judge Menendez acknowledged this, noting evidence suggesting federal agents may have engaged in racial profiling, excessive force, and other harmful actions-claims the government did not dispute.
“Defendants do nothing to refute the negative impacts described by Plaintiffs in almost every arena of daily life,” Menendez wrote, citing increased police overtime, declining school attendance, delayed emergency responses, and financial hardship for small businesses. “It would be difficult to overstate the effect this operation is having on the citizens of Minnesota.”
