Federal judge denies Minnesota's request to temporarily halt Operation Metro Surge

3 days ago 7

Federal justice Kate Menendez denied Minnesota's question for a impermanent restraining bid to halt "Operation Metro Surge" connected Saturday. The tribunal documents, filed connected Saturday, accidental that Minnesota and its cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul person not met their load of proof.

The statement to halt operations, successful part, stated that the national cognition is "causing harm to the Twin Cities and State themselves, arsenic good arsenic their residents." Lawyers with the U.S. Department of Justice person called the suit "legally frivolous."

In the tribunal documents, Menendez cited different caller lawsuit wherever the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals precocious vacated the preliminary injunction ruling that restricted the unit national agents tin usage connected peaceful protesters, saying that tribunal lawsuit had "much much settled precedent" successful that lawsuit and that "the Court of Appeals determined that the injunction would origin irreparable harm to the authorities due to the fact that it would hamper their efforts to enforce national law." Menendez besides wrote, "If that injunction went excessively far, past halting the full cognition surely would."

"Because determination is grounds supporting some sides' arguments arsenic to information and the comparative merits of each side's competing positions are unclear, the Court is reluctant to find that the likelihood-of-success origin weighs sufficiently successful favour of granting a preliminary injunction," the justice said successful the ruling.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released a connection aft Menendez's ruling that stated successful part:

"Of course, we're disappointed. This determination doesn't alteration what radical present person lived done — fear, disruption, and harm caused by a national cognition that ne'er belonged successful Minneapolis successful the archetypal place. This cognition has not brought nationalist safety. It's brought the other and has detracted from the bid we request for a moving city. It's an invasion, and it needs to stop."

The authorities of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul person sought a impermanent restraining bid successful their suit against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and different Trump medication officials.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi took to societal media Saturday to laud the ruling, calling it "another HUGE" ineligible triumph for the Justice Department connected X.

Minnesota's argument

The authorities filed the suit claiming the Trump medication has "violated the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution," done infringement of constabulary powerfulness and unlawful coercion. Minnesota alleges it "has been singled retired and targeted by ICE successful a mode that nary different authorities has experienced."

In the tribunal filing, Minnesota argues that the cognition is not motivated by "a morganatic law-enforcement purpose" but alternatively serves arsenic a "pretext for leveraging demands and punishing governmental leaders wrong the State and Twin Cities who reason the Trump administration's migration policies."

The authorities besides claims that 1 of the Trump administration's existent objectives is gaining entree to Minnesota's elector rolls.

Court documents besides authorities that the large-scale beingness of national agents has disrupted the healthcare industry, affected section businesses and stopped residents from going to spiritual services. The authorities besides claims that "federal officers' usage of unit and being detained connected their mode to and from schoolhouse had had 'negative impacts connected attendance and pupil focus'" forcing respective schoolhouse districts to temporarily close.

Trump administration's argument

The Trump medication argues Operation Metro Surge was launched "to code the dangers arising from the beingness of amerciable aliens successful the Twin Cities." The medication besides argues the dangers are exacerbated by Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul's sanctuary metropolis policies.

The Department of Justice filed a 34-page suit successful 2025 alleging "Minnesota officials are jeopardizing the information of their ain citizens by allowing amerciable aliens to circumvent the ineligible process."

The Trump medication besides claims that Operation Metro Surge has "strictly been successful furtherance of "the enforcement of national law," successful enactment with President Trump's run promises."

Operation Metro Surge is the largest national deployment of instrumentality enforcement successful United States history.

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