Judge Refuses To Halt ICE Ops in Minnesota Amid Legal Challenge

A federal judge on Wednesday declined to immediately block the Biden administration’s intensified immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, saying there was insufficient time to fully consider legal arguments in the state’s request for a temporary restraining order.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez, a Biden appointee, heard arguments in a lawsuit filed earlier this week by the State of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, which sought to halt a surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents conducting sweeps across the state. Plaintiffs allege the federal campaign has involved warrantless arrests, excessive force, and violations of constitutional rights.

Menendez said at a hearing that she could not issue a ruling on Wednesday due to the complexity of legal issues and limited precedent addressing the scope of federal immigration enforcement authority in this context.

The judge set deadlines for the U.S. Justice Department to respond by Jan. 19 and for state officials to file additional arguments by Jan. 22, with a ruling on the restraining order expected later this month.

“That should not be taken as a prejudgment of the merits of either the plaintiff’s case or the anticipated defense that may be raised by the United States,” Menendez said. “It is simply observing that these are grave and important matters and that they are somewhat frontier issues in constitutional law.”

State officials, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, argued federal agents have engaged in heavy-handed tactics that have eroded public trust and endangered residents. Government attorneys countered that officials have had limited time to respond to the lawsuit and that the operations are lawful and necessary.

Also, there is limited precedent from federal courts that reign in federal agents and agencies from performing their constitutional and statutory duties anywhere in the United States or U.S. possessions.

The lawsuit comes amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis following the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Good by an ICE agent during an enforcement action, which sparked widespread protests and scrutiny of federal tactics. Federal agencies have made thousands of arrests statewide since the operation began in December.

For now, the immigration sweeps will continue while the court weighs whether to impose restrictions or halt the activities.

Meanwhile, immigration enforcement may be ramping up at the Hennepin County Medical Center, the state’s largest public safety net hospital, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

MPR News reported on Wednesday that ICE agents were entering hospitals with detainees, sometimes without warrants, and – according to five Hennepin Healthcare nurses who requested to remain anonymous – were attending patient appointments.

Additionally, an anonymous employee at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport shared a memo with FOX 9 outlining plans for ICE agents to spend three weeks at the airport checking the documents of travelers and employees.

Federal officials also say that the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good during a chaotic encounter in Minneapolis last week suffered internal bleeding to the torso, a revelation that bolsters claims that the officer acted in self-defense.

Sources briefed on the agent’s medical condition told reporters that the injury occurred when Good’s vehicle struck the officer, identified as Jonathan Ross, a 10-year law enforcement veteran. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the internal injury but declined to release additional medical details, citing privacy concerns.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said earlier that Ross had been treated at a local hospital immediately following the January 7 shooting and was released the same day. “The officer was hit by the vehicle. She hit him. He went to the hospital. A doctor did treat him. He has been released,” Noem said at the time, adding that Ross “acted to protect himself and his fellow agents.”