US judge declines to halt immigration surge in Minnesota amid protests

Al JazeeraCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 31, 2026 at 09:18 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A U.S. judge declined to halt the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota, despite a lawsuit from the state's Attorney General and the mayors of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The lawsuit sought to block a Department of Homeland Security operation that deployed thousands of immigration agents to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The decision comes amid mass protests sparked by the killings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in January 2026. Tensions escalated after an ICE agent fatally shot a Minneapolis woman on January 7, and federal border agents killed a nurse on January 24. While the judge acknowledged the operation's negative impact, she ruled that the balance of harms did not favor an injunction.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tom Homan 40% Keith Ellison 50% Saint Paul ×250% Department of Homeland Security 60% Kate Menendez ×260% Minneapolis ×570% Immigration and Customs Enforcement ×270% Donald Trump ×480% United States ×380% Minnesota ×790%

Keywords

immigration crackdown 90% protests 80% minnesota 80% federal agents 70% ice detentions 70% shootings 60% injunction 60% racial profiling 50% lawsuit 50% deportation protections 40%