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