Trump administration urges judge to reject Minnesota’s attempt to stop its immigration crackdown

Trump administration urges judge to reject Minnesota’s attempt to stop its immigration crackdown 1 of 5 | Federal immigration agents have detained a U.S. citizen in Minnesota at gunpoint without a warrant. That’s according to ChongLy “Scott” Thao, who says agents forced open his door, entered with guns drawn and led him outside in his underwear in freezing conditions. 2 of 5 | A federal immigration officer looks through a window of a home Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Maplewood, Minn. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) 3 of 5 | ICE agents make use of the facilities at a gas station, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) 4 of 5 | People arrive for an MLK rally on, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) 5 of 5 | A protester writes pro BLM and Anti-ICE rhetoric on the window of her car during an ICE protest and celebration of MLK day, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) 1 of 5 Federal immigration agents have detained a U.S. citizen in Minnesota at gunpoint without a warrant. That’s according to ChongLy “Scott” Thao, who says agents forced open his door, entered with guns drawn and led him outside in his underwear in freezing conditions. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 5 A federal immigration officer looks through a window of a home Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Maplewood, Minn. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 5 ICE agents make use of the facilities at a gas station, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 5 People arrive for an MLK rally on, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 5 of 5 A protester writes pro BLM and Anti-ICE rhetoric on the window of her car during an ICE protest and celebration of MLK day, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Minneapolis (AP) — The Trump administration is urging a judge to reject efforts by Minnesota and its largest cities to stop the immigration enforcement surge that has roiled Minneapolis and St. Paul for weeks.The Justice Department called the lawsuit, filed soon after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an immigration officer, “legally frivolous.” Lawyers argued that the Department of Homeland Security is acting within its legal powers to enforce immigration laws. Operation Metro Surge has made the state safer with the arrests of more than 3,000 people who were in the country illegally, the government said Monday in a court filing.“Put simply, Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement,” Justice Department attorneys wrote.Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights with its unprecedented sweeps. He described the armed officers as poorly trained and said the “invasion” must cease. The lawsuit filed Jan. 12 seeks an order to halt or limit the enforcement action. More filings are expected, and it’s not known when U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez will make a decision. Ilan Wurman, who teaches constitutional law at University of Minnesota Law School, doubts the state’s arguments will be successful. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on “There’s no question that federal law is supreme over state law, that immigration enforcement is within the power of the federal government, and the president, within statutory bounds, can allocate more federal enforcement resources to states who’ve been less cooperative in that enforcement space than other states have been,” Wurman told The Associated Press. Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, expressed frustration that advocates have no way of knowing whether the government’s arrest numbers and descriptions of the people in custody are accurate. U.S. citizens have been dragged from their homes and vehicles during the Minnesota surge. “These are real people we’re talking about, that we potentially have no idea what is happening to them,” Decker said.In a separate lawsuit, Menendez said Friday that federal officers can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities.Good, 37, was killed on Jan. 7 as she was moving her vehicle, which had been blocking a Minneapolis street where Immigration and Customers Enforcement officers were operating. Trump administration officials say the officer, Jonathan Ross, shot her in self-defense, although videos of the encounter show the Honda Pilot slowly turning away from him. Since then, the public has repeatedly confronted officers, blowing whistles and yelling insults at ICE and U.S. Border Patrol. They, in turn, have used tear gas and chemical irritants against protesters. Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars.Police in the region, meanwhile, said off-duty law enforcement officers have been racially profiled by federal officers and stopped without cause. Brooklyn Park police Chief Mark Bruley said he has received complaints from residents who are U.S. citizens, including his own officers. “Every one of these individuals is a person of color who has had this happening,” Bruley said during a news conference.He said he believes the stops have been conducted a “small group of individuals,” and not all agents in the area.President Donald Trump last week threatened to invoke an 1807 law and send troops to Minnesota, though he has backed off, at least in his public remarks.Associated Press reporter Sarah Raza in Minneapolis contributed. Karnowski covers politics and government from Minnesota for The Associated Press. He also covers the ongoing fallout from the murder of George Floyd, courts and the environment, among other topics.