Federal Judge Denies Request to Block ICE Surge in Minnesota Amidst Tensions Over Immigration Enforcement
A federal judge in Minnesota denied a request on Saturday from the state government and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to temporarily block a surge of federal immigration agents, according to The New York Times. The request came amidst rising tensions over President Trump's immigration policies and an increase in ICE activity in the state.
Judge Kate M. Menendez, a Biden appointee, resisted requests from state lawyers for an immediate ruling on halting what they called the Trump administration's immigration enforcement campaign, known as Operation Metro Surge, which began late last year, The New York Times reported. The state and the cities argued in a lawsuit filed on Jan. 12 that the decision to send some 3,000 immigration agents to Democratic-led Minnesota over the objections of local officials amounted to a violation of state sovereignty. The surge has reportedly led to three shootings, thousands of arrests, and weeks of protests.
The denial of the request coincided with reports of expanded powers for ICE agents. According to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo reviewed by The New York Times, federal agents were told this week that they have broader power to arrest people without a warrant. The change expands the ability of lower-level ICE agents to carry out sweeps rounding up people they encounter and suspect are undocumented immigrants, rather than targeted enforcement operations in which they set out, warrant in hand, to arrest a specific person. The shift comes as the administration has deployed thousands of masked immigration agents into cities nationwide. A week before the memo, it came to light that Todd M. Lyons, the acting director of the agency, had issued guidance.
The increased ICE activity and expanded arrest powers have sparked controversy and raised concerns about civil liberties. The situation in Minnesota reflects a broader national debate over immigration enforcement and the role of federal agents in local communities.
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