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The state of Minnesota, along with its largest city Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a federal lawsuit on January 12 seeking to block the Trump Administration's controversial surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents in the Twin Cities area.
Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul filed a federal lawsuit on January 12 to block the Trump Administration's surge of ICE agents in the Twin Cities. (Unsplash/representational)Read more: Minnesota sues Trump administration over immigration crackdown
Minnesota's presidential historyIn presidential elections, Minnesota has historically been seen as a Democratic-leaning (or "blue") state. In 2016, Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Donald Trump in Minnesota to win the state's ten electoral votes. In that election, Minnesota was not won by Trump. Similarly, in the 2020 and 2024 elections, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won Minnesota, respectively.
However, in 2024, there were some Republican gains in individual counties in 2024. Trump flipped Carlton County in nearly 100 years. It was a small win as the flip did not really affect the overall democratic tilt.
Read more: ICE going door‑to‑door? Here's what to do and know about your rights
Lawsuit over ICE deploymentFollowing the shooting death of a woman by an ICE agent last week, Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration on Monday in an attempt to prevent an influx of immigration enforcement personnel into the state.
Ellison cites events like Renee Good's shooting last week to accuse the Trump administration of causing "serious harm" with the spike.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and several U.S. immigration officials are named in the lawsuit, which asks a federal court in Minnesota to declare the surge illegal and unconstitutional and to stop the federal government from detaining U.S. citizens and visa holders without probable cause that they have committed a crime.
At least 2,100 ICE officers and Homeland Security investigators have recently entered the state, according to the lawsuit, which claims that this increase is "unconstitutional and unlawful."
Ellison and the state are requesting that a judge halt the increase and prevent the Trump administration from taking any other comparable moves in Minnesota.