# Judge Rejects Bid to Halt Immigration Enforcement Surge in Minnesota
A federal judge has declined to halt **Operation Metro Surge**, the Trump administration’s unprecedented immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities, despite ongoing legal challenges from Minnesota state officials and local governments. The decision, issued Saturday, represents a significant setback for efforts to immediately stop what state and local leaders characterize as an unconstitutional federal overreach.[2]
## The Legal Challenge
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security seeking to end the surge and declare it unconstitutional.[1] The coalition also requested a temporary restraining order to obtain immediate relief from what they describe as unlawful federal actions. However, the Biden-appointed judge rejected the request for an injunction that would have halted the entire operation.[2]
In her 30-page opinion, the judge acknowledged the arguments presented but found them insufficient to justify blocking the surge. She stated she was “particularly reluctant to take a side in the debate about the purpose behind Operation Metro Surge,” indicating judicial caution about intervening in what could be viewed as a political dispute between state and federal authorities.[2]
## The Core Legal Issue
The state and cities argue that Operation Metro Surge violates the First and Tenth Amendments, as well as the Constitution’s guarantee of equal sovereignty between state and federal governments. They also contend the operation violates the Administrative Procedure Act.[1] Specifically, they allege that DHS agents have engaged in racial profiling, harassment, excessive force, warrantless arrests without immigration status assessment, and targeting of individuals in sensitive locations.[1]
The judge’s reluctance to intervene centered on a fundamental legal question: at what point does a federal law enforcement presence become so large that it constitutes an unconstitutional intrusion on state authority? In her opinion, she noted there is “no clear way for the Court to determine at what point Defendants’ alleged unlawful actions…becomes (sic) so problematic that they amount to unconstitutional coercion and an infringement on Minnesota’s state sovereignty.”[2] She also emphasized that “there is no precedent for a court to micromanage such decisions.”[2]
## The Scale of the Operation
The scope of Operation Metro Surge is substantial. The surge has involved approximately **3,000 federal officers**, a force roughly triple the size of the local police forces in Minneapolis and St. Paul combined.[2] This massive federal presence began in December 2025, with thousands of armed and masked DHS agents, including personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), conducting what state officials characterize as militarized raids.[1]
## Real-World Impact
The operation has caused significant disruption throughout the Twin Cities. Schools have been forced into lockdown to protect students, and businesses have closed their doors due to fear of DHS violence.[1] Customer-facing businesses in Minneapolis are reporting revenue decreases of 50-80% because customers are uncomfortable patronizing them amid increased immigration enforcement.[1]
Local law enforcement resources have been severely strained. Between January 8 and January 11 alone, Minneapolis Police officers worked more than 3,000 hours of overtime, with estimated costs exceeding $2 million for just that four-day period.[1] Police have had to respond to multiple incidents involving tension between people’s First Amendment right to protest and DHS agents’ actions, as well as calls from Minnesotans uncertain whether they were witnessing kidnappings.[1]
On January 7, 2026, a DHS agent shot and killed Renee Good, adding to concerns about the operation’s conduct.[1]
## The Judge’s Reasoning
The judge’s decision was strongly influenced by a recent ruling from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which had lifted a more limited injunction she had previously issued regarding DHS tactics against peaceful protesters.[2] The appeals court’s action suggested that courts should be cautious about restraining federal enforcement operations. The judge reasoned that if her narrower injunction was deemed to go too far, then a sweeping order halting the entire operation would certainly exceed appropriate judicial bounds.[2]
## The State’s Counterargument
State officials argue that immigration enforcement serves as a pretext for the surge, noting that noncitizen immigrants without legal status comprise only approximately 1.5% of Minnesota’s population—less than half the national average.[1] They point out that states like Utah, Texas, and Florida have higher percentages of undocumented immigrants yet have seen no corresponding surge of federal agents.[1]
## What Comes Next
While the judge has rejected the immediate injunction, the underlying lawsuit continues to proceed. The legal battle over Operation Metro Surge remains active, with the state and cities pursuing their constitutional claims through the courts. However, the rejection of the temporary restraining order means that Operation Metro Surge will continue unimpeded while the litigation moves forward—a process that typically takes months or years.
The judge’s reluctance to intervene reflects broader judicial concerns about the appropriate limits of court power when reviewing federal law enforcement decisions, even when those decisions raise significant constitutional questions about federalism and state sovereignty.
Original source: NPR News – Judge says she won’t halt the immigration enforcement surge as a lawsuit proceeds
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