Trump Immigration: Minneapolis Courts & Latest Updates – NYT

(Minneapolis,February 3,2026) – A federal judge has upheld the continuation of “Operation Metro Surge,” a large-scale immigration enforcement effort by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota, rejecting a request from the state to halt the operation.

A judge ruled against Minnesota’s attempt to stop ICE’s increased enforcement activities, citing a lack of demonstrated harm.

• A judge denied Minnesota’s motion for a preliminary injunction to stop Operation Metro Surge.
• The court found the state did not demonstrate a sufficient “balance of harms” to warrant halting the operation.
• Operation Metro Surge has led to increased ICE activity and arrests in the Minneapolis area.

Judge’s Ruling

U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz denied Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s request for a preliminary injunction to stop Operation Metro Surge, according to reporting from NBC News and The Guardian. The judge determined that Minnesota had not sufficiently demonstrated that the operation was causing irreparable harm to the state or its residents.

Did you know?– Preliminary injunctions are temporary court orders issued before a full trial to prevent a party from taking a specific action. They require a showing of likely success on the merits and irreparable harm.

Details of Operation Metro Surge

Operation Metro Surge, initiated in recent months, represents an intensified effort by ICE to apprehend individuals in Minnesota who are subject to deportation. Axios reported that the operation has substantially increased ICE’s presence and enforcement activities in the state, particularly in the Minneapolis area. The New York Times noted the operation is part of a broader crackdown on immigration under the Trump administration. The operation began in late 2025, focusing on individuals with prior criminal convictions and those who had fatigued legal appeals against deportation.

Minnesota’s Concerns

Minnesota officials argued that Operation Metro surge was straining state and local resources,eroding trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities,and disrupting essential services.Attorney General Ellison had asserted that the operation was creating a climate of fear and hindering public safety, The Guardian reported. Though, Judge Schiltz found these arguments insufficient to justify halting the operation.

Pro tip– The “balance of harms” test weighs the potential harm to the plaintiff (Minnesota, in this case) if the injunction is not granted against the potential harm to the defendant (ICE) if the injunction is granted.

court’s Reasoning

The judge’s decision, as reported by Axios, centered on the legal standard of “balance of harms.” To obtain a preliminary injunction, Minnesota needed to demonstrate that the harm it would suffer from allowing the operation to continue outweighed the harm ICE would suffer from being forced to suspend it. The court found that the state had not met this burden. Specifically, the judge stated that the state failed to provide concrete evidence of increased strain on resources or a direct link between the operation and decreased public safety. The ruling effectively allows Operation Metro Surge to continue while the legal challenges proceed. As of february 3, 2026, ICE has not commented on the ruling, but is expected to continue enforcement activities.

Time.news based this report in part on reporting by The New York Times, Axios, NBC News, and The Guardian and added independent analysis and context.