The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to force an end to the surge of immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities that left one woman dead and sparked mass protests.
Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the lawsuit in a news conference Jan. 12 alongside Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her.
It comes amid a deployment of more than 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — with still more to come, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Ellison on Jan. 9 described ICE as a “paramilitary force terrorizing Minnesotans and Americans.”
“I have an overwhelming sense that we must do something about it,” Ellison said.
ICE has ramped up its presence in Minnesota since late last year. On Jan. 7, an ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, sparking mass protests as the Trump administration sought to characterize the killing as self-defense. The FBI has shut Minnesota officials out of the investigation into Good’s killing.
The same day, U.S. Border Patrol agents clashed with protesters at Roosevelt High School. A day later, ICE agents detained two Target employees in Richfield.
Tribal leaders said ICE has also detained Native Americans. Oglala Sioux attorneys were trying to locate the individuals and secure their release.
