SAINT PAUL, MN — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, joined by the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt what officials describe as an unconstitutional surge of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
The lawsuit, filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and related agencies, asks a federal court to end “Operation Metro Surge,” which began in December 2025 and brought thousands of armed and masked DHS agents—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection—into the Twin Cities. The state and cities are also seeking a temporary restraining order, citing immediate and ongoing harm.
According to the filing, the surge has led to militarized raids, unlawful stops and arrests, and the use of excessive force, including actions at sensitive locations such as schools, churches, hospitals and daycares. Officials say the operation has forced schools into lockdowns and closures, strained emergency responders, shuttered businesses and diverted local law enforcement resources away from routine public safety duties.
“The unlawful deployment of thousands of armed, masked, and poorly trained federal agents is hurting Minnesota,” Ellison said. “People are being racially profiled, harassed, terrorized, and assaulted. Schools have gone into lockdown. Businesses have been forced to close. Minnesota police are spending countless hours dealing with the chaos ICE is causing. This federal invasion of the Twin Cities has to stop, so today I am suing DHS to bring it to an end.”
The lawsuit alleges the surge violates the First and Tenth Amendments, the Constitution’s guarantee of equal sovereignty among states, and the federal Administrative Procedure Act. It also argues the operation is politically motivated retaliation by the Trump administration, rather than legitimate immigration enforcement, noting that Minnesota’s population of noncitizen immigrants without legal status is lower than the national average.
“Minneapolis didn’t ask for this operation, but we’re paying the price,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. “When federal actions undermine public safety, harm our neighbors, and violate constitutional rights, we have a responsibility to act. That’s exactly what we’re doing today.”
“Federal law enforcement’s occupation of our city is putting us all at risk,” said St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her. “They’ve come into Saint Paul and needlessly invaded our neighborhoods and homes; they’re targeting us based on what we look and sound like. Our residents are scared, and as local officials, we have a responsibility to act. Today we’re standing side by side with Minneapolis and the Attorney General to fight back.”
State officials say the surge has also created significant costs for taxpayers. Minneapolis police began tracking overtime related to the operation on Jan. 7, and within days officers had logged more than 3,000 hours of overtime, with estimated costs exceeding $2 million.
Minnesota House GOP leaders sharply criticized the lawsuit. House Speaker Lisa Demuth and GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska released a joint statement arguing the legal action undermines federal authority and misuses state resources.
“Instead of working with the federal government to target and arrest criminal illegal immigrants, they are wasting state resources on a lawsuit that seeks to override the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration law. Minnesotans deserve leaders that allow the removal of violent criminals – not ones that demand they remain in our communities.”
The lawsuit comes amid heightened tensions following a Jan. 7 incident in which a DHS agent shot and killed Renee Good. State and city leaders say the court action is necessary to restore public safety and protect the constitutional rights of Minnesotans, while Republican leaders contend cooperation with federal authorities is essential to keeping communities safe.
