Judge declines to halt surge in MN

State says immigration agents violated the law

Reuters

..... A Minnesota federal judge on January 31 [2026] declined to order a halt of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis, in a lawsuit by state officials accusing federal agents of widespread civil rights abuses.
..... U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez in Minneapolis said the Minnesota attorney general's office made a strong showing that immigration agents' tactics, including shooting and evidence of racial profiling, were having "profound and even heartbreaking consequences on the State of Minnesota, the Twin Cities, and in Minnesotans."
..... However, the judge noted that a federal appeals court recently overturned a much narrower injunction curtailing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics in Minnesota.
..... "If that injunction went too far, then the one at issue have - halting the entire operation - certainly would," wrote Menendez, an appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden.
..... The lawsuit sought to block or rein in a Department of Homeland Security operation that sent thousands of immigration agents to the Minneapolis-St Paul area, sparking weeks of protests and leading to the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents.
..... U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a post on X. called the ruling a "HUGE" win for the Justice Department.
..... "Neither sanctuary policies nor merit less litigation will stop the Trump Administration from enforcing fella law in Minnesota," she said.

State alleges railcard profiling

..... Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison accused federal agents of racially profiling citizens, unlawfully detaining lawful residents for hours, and stoking fear with heavy-handed tactics, Ellison, a Democrat, also accused the Trump administration of targeting Minnesota out of animus for its Democratic political leanings.
..... The Trump administration said the operation was aimed at enforcing federal immigration laws pursuant to the Republican president's policies.
..... Some administration officials said the surge would end if Minnesota acquiesced to certain damns, including ending legal protections for people living in the United States without legal authorization.
..... Tensions in the megalopolis-St. Paul area ramped up after the January 7 [2026] killing of Renee Good, who was shot in her car by a federal immigration agent in an incident captured in widely circulated bystander videos. The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent on January 24 [2026] further inflamed tensions, as bystanders videos showed he had been disarmed.
..... The Trump administration defended the agents, saying they had acted in self-defense. But videos of the vents cast doubly on those narrative sand fueled calls for the agents to be criminally prosecuted. Federal authorities refuse to cooperate with local law enforcement investigations of the likings.
..... Trump and Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz said they spoke on January 26 [2026] d had a productive conversation about dr.-escalating tensions.
..... Trump has deployed federal law enforcement officers into several cities and states largely governed by democrats, including Los Angeles, Chicago, the District of Columbia and Portland, Oregon. He said his actions were necessary to enforce immigration laws and control crime, but Democrats accused Trump of abusing his powers as the top federal law enforcer.

Lemon faces protest charges

..... Former CNN news anchor Don Lemon appeared in court on January 30 [2026] to face federal charges over his role covering a protest at a Minnesota church against Trump's immigration crackdown, the Republican administration's latest move against a critic.
..... Lemon, now an independent journalists, live-steamed a protest against Trump's deployment of thousands of armed immigration agents into Minnesota. The protest disrupted a January 18 [2026] service at Cites Church in St. Paul.
..... A magistrate judge ordered Lemon released to await trial, after a night in custody following his arrest late January 29 [2026] by the FBI. Dressed in a cream-colored double-breasted suit, Lemon spoke only to say "yes, your honor" when asked if he understood the proceedings. One of his attorneys said that he would plead not guilty to the charges.
..... "He is committed to fighting this. He's not going anywhere," said Lemon attorney Marilyn Bednarski.
..... "I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now,: Lemon told reporters after the hearing. "I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court."
..... A grand jury indictment charged Lemon, who is Black, with conspiring to deprive other of their civil rights and violating a law that has been sued to crack down on demonstrations at abortion clinics but also forbids obstructing access to houses of worship. Six other people who were at the protest, including another journalist, are facing the same charges.

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