Quick Take: The Department of Justice asked a federal judge to reject Minnesota’s bid to block President Trump’s planned immigration enforcement surge and to allow federal agents to continue their operations. The DOJ also appealed a judge’s order limiting how federal agents may respond to peaceful protesters. Investigations are active into a church protest and the fatal shooting of Renee Good, while roughly 1,500 troops were placed on standby amid ongoing Twin Cities demonstrations.
DOJ Moves To Keep Trump Immigration Surge Active, Appeals Ruling Limiting Federal Crowd Control
Federal law enforcement agents outside a private residence in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday, amid an ongoing immigration enforcement operation. - Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Department of Justice on Monday urged a federal judge to deny Minnesota and Twin Cities leaders’ request to block President Donald Trump’s planned surge of federal immigration agents, arguing the lawsuit would improperly allow a state veto over federal law. In its filing, the administration called the challenge an "absurdity" that would render federal supremacy "an afterthought to local preferences."
State and local officials in Minnesota filed the suit last week, describing the influx of immigration officers as akin to "a federal invasion" and asserting violations of the 10th Amendment. Their complaint follows similar litigation by Illinois and the city of Chicago, which accused the Department of Homeland Security of subjecting residents to what it termed "organized bombardment."
The Trump administration maintains that the Constitution grants the federal government broad authority to enforce national immigration laws and to direct federal law-enforcement operations as it deems necessary.
DoJ Appeals Crowd-Control Order
The DOJ also announced it is appealing a separate federal judge’s order that restricts how federal agents may respond to peaceful protesters in Minnesota. That order—issued last Friday—prohibits agents from arresting or detaining peaceful demonstrators, using certain crowd-control measures such as pepper spray against them, and stopping or detaining drivers without "reasonable articulable suspicion" of interference with federal operations. The department says the limits impede its ability to protect federal facilities and personnel.
Legal Proceedings And Hearings
Judge Katherine Menendez has said she will consider Minnesota’s request on an expedited basis. She held a hearing last Wednesday and declined to issue a temporary restraining order at that time, cautioning her decision "should not be considered a prejudgment" and describing the case as raising "somewhat frontier issues in constitutional law." Minnesota and Twin Cities lawyers have until Thursday to respond to the DOJ’s latest filing.
Protesters interrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota where a local official with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement apparently serves as a pastor. - SPEAK MLPS/AP
Investigations And Probes
Officials said the Civil Rights Division has sent specialists to Minneapolis to investigate reports surrounding a protest that disrupted services at a St. Paul church where a pastor is reportedly a senior local Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon described the demonstration as "desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers." Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI and DHS are involved in the inquiry.
Officials have also indicated that Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor who now produces independent content and who was present at the church protest, could face scrutiny; Lemon told CNN he attended as a journalist.
The FBI briefly opened a civil rights probe into the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis, then shifted aspects of the investigation to focus on whether the agent had been assaulted and the conduct of Good and others present, according to sources. The victim’s family attorneys say a full and transparent inquiry is necessary to establish the facts.
Security Posture And Protests
The Pentagon ordered roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for potential deployment to Minnesota, according to an administration source; officials emphasized that troops on standby do not guarantee a deployment. The Minnesota National Guard has also been mobilized but not deployed. Gov. Tim Walz ordered the Guard to be ready to support Minneapolis law enforcement following the fatal shooting.
Protests continued near the Whipple Federal Building outside Minneapolis amid cold temperatures, as demonstrators rallied against ICE operations.
President's Response
Early Tuesday, President Trump described the church demonstrators on his Truth Social platform as "agitators and insurrectionists" who are "highly trained to scream, rant, and rave," adding: "They are troublemakers who should be thrown in jail, or thrown out of the Country."
The unfolding legal challenges, investigations and security preparations underscore the tensions between federal enforcement priorities and local officials' objections, and set the stage for expedited court decisions in the coming days.
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