Judge hears arguments on Minnesota’s immigration crackdown after fatal shootings

A judge has been asked to order a reduction in the number of federal law enforcement officers in Minnesota. Picture: Adam Gray/AP

A US federal judge has heard arguments on whether she should at least temporarily halt the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers.

US district judge Katherine Menedez said the case was a priority, though she issued no immediate ruling after the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul requested the immigration operation be halted.

Ms Menendez questioned the government’s motivation behind the crackdown and expressed scepticism about a letter recently sent by Attorney General Pam Bondi to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

The letter asked the state to give the federal government access to voter rolls, to turn over state Medicaid and food assistance records and to repeal sanctuary policies.

The judge asked: “I mean, is there no limit to what the executive can do under the guise of enforcing immigration law?”

She noted that the federal requests are the subject of litigation.

Lawyers for the state and the Twin Cities argued that the situation on the street is so dire as to require the court to halt the federal government’s enforcement actions.

Demonstrations have taken place in Minneapolis and elsewhere over the shootings (AP)

Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said: “If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don’t think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future.”

Brantley Mayers, counsel to the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general, said the government’s goal is to enforce federal law.

Mr Mayers said one lawful action should not be used to discredit another lawful action.

“I don’t see how the fact that we’re also doing additional things that we are allowed to do, that the Constitution has vested us with doing, would in any way negate another piece of the same operation, the same surge,” Mr Mayers said.

Please read this statement from the parents of VA ICU nurse Alexander Pretti, who was murdered yesterday by Border Patrol agents. pic.twitter.com/BFi0yc2fgN

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 25, 2026

Ms Menendez questioned where the line was between violating the Constitution and the executive’s power to enforce the law. She also asked whether she was being asked to decide between state and federal policies.

“That begins to feel very much like I am deciding which policy approach is best,” she said.

At one point, while discussing the prospect of federal officers entering residences without a warrant, the judge expressed reluctance to decide issues not yet raised in a lawsuit before her.

“I can’t be the global keeper of all things here. Like, presumably that will be litigated,” she said to the state’s attorney.

The state of Minnesota and the cities sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs (Ice) officer.

"Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota. It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength... Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!" - President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZjrSDU8uAz

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 26, 2026

The shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol officer on Saturday added urgency to the case.

On the latest shooting, US President Donald Trump said that he had a “very good” call with Mr Walz about the events and said that they are now on a “similar wavelength”.

It was an abrupt shift for Mr Trump, who frequently derides Mr Walz for his actions on immigration issues in Minnesota.

Since the original court filing, the state and cities have substantially added to their request in an effort to restore the conditions that existed before the administration launched Operation Metro Surge on December 1.

The lawsuit asks the judge to order a reduction in the number of federal law enforcement officers and agents in Minnesota back to the level before the surge and to limit the scope of the enforcement operation.

Lawyers for the US justice department have asked the judge to reject the request (Adam Gray/AP)

US justice department lawyers have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous” and said “Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement”.

They have asked the judge to reject the request or at least stay her order pending an anticipated appeal.

Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said that the lawsuit is needed because of “the unprecedented nature of this surge”.

He said: “It is a novel abuse of the Constitution that we’re looking at right now. No one can remember a time when we’ve seen something like this.”

Thousands of people took to the streets of Minneapolis on Sunday (AP)

The case also has implications for other US states that have been or could be targets of intensive federal immigration enforcement operations.

Attorneys general from 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, led by California, filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota.

“If left unchecked, the federal government will no doubt be emboldened to continue its unlawful conduct in Minnesota and to repeat it elsewhere,” the attorneys general wrote.