Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Attorney General Keith Ellison, on behalf of the state of Minnesota and alongside the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and related agencies and officials, asking the court to end the unprecedented surge of DHS agents into the state and declare it unconstitutional and unlawful. They also ask the court for a temporary restraining order, citing the immediate harm the state and cities are facing.
In December 2025, the federal government initiated “Operation Metro Surge,” during which thousands of armed and masked DHS agents — including from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids and carry out dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional stops and arrests, all under the guise of lawful immigration enforcement. DHS agents have brazenly and repeatedly deployed excessive force against the people of Minnesota, spreading terror throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. This surge has resulted in tangible harm to the state of Minnesota and its people, as well as the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. As a result of this surge, municipalities have been forced to divert local law enforcement resources away from their normal public safety duties, emergency responder resources have been strained, schools have been forced into lockdowns and closures, businesses have been forced to close, and the rights of Minnesotans have been violated time and time again.
The State and the cities allege the surge amounts to a violation of the First and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution, as well as the Constitution’s guarantee of equal sovereignty between state and federal governments. They also allege the surge violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
The State and the cities seek an end to Operation Metro Surge and the deployments of thousands of DHS agents to Minnesota, as well as an end to the unlawful behaviors of DHS agents within the state, including but not limited to:
arresting, threatening, and using force against innocent bystanders;
using force against individuals peacefully engaging in constitutionally protected speech;
pointing firearms at individuals who pose no threat to DHS agents; and
carrying out enforcement actions at sensitive locations like schools, churches, hospitals.
Operation Metro Surge is causing serious harm
The deployment of thousands of armed, masked DHS agents to Minnesota has resulted in serious harm to the state of Minnesota and its residents, as well as the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and DHS agents have committed numerous, significant violations of law.
stpaul.gov/immigration-resources
Attorney General Keith Ellison, on behalf of the state of Minnesota and alongside the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and related agencies and officials, asking the court to end the unprecedented surge of DHS agents into the state and declare it unconstitutional and unlawful. They also ask the court for a temporary restraining order, citing the immediate harm the state and cities are facing.
In December 2025, the federal government initiated “Operation Metro Surge,” during which thousands of armed and masked DHS agents — including from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids and carry out dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional stops and arrests, all under the guise of lawful immigration enforcement. DHS agents have brazenly and repeatedly deployed excessive force against the people of Minnesota, spreading terror throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. This surge has resulted in tangible harm to the state of Minnesota and its people, as well as the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. As a result of this surge, municipalities have been forced to divert local law enforcement resources away from their normal public safety duties, emergency responder resources have been strained, schools have been forced into lockdowns and closures, businesses have been forced to close, and the rights of Minnesotans have been violated time and time again.
The State and the cities allege the surge amounts to a violation of the First and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution, as well as the Constitution’s guarantee of equal sovereignty between state and federal governments. They also allege the surge violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
The State and the cities seek an end to Operation Metro Surge and the deployments of thousands of DHS agents to Minnesota, as well as an end to the unlawful behaviors of DHS agents within the state, including but not limited to:
arresting, threatening, and using force against innocent bystanders;
using force against individuals peacefully engaging in constitutionally protected speech;
pointing firearms at individuals who pose no threat to DHS agents; and
carrying out enforcement actions at sensitive locations like schools, churches, hospitals.
Operation Metro Surge is causing serious harm
The deployment of thousands of armed, masked DHS agents to Minnesota has resulted in serious harm to the state of Minnesota and its residents, as well as the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and DHS agents have committed numerous, significant violations of law.
stpaul.gov/immigration-resources
