Minnesota And Illinois Sue Homeland Security To Block ICE Raids 

ICE and Border Patrol have only been deployed to Minneapolis for a few weeks, and it’s already been a crapshow. The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good has understandably put the city on edge, with anti-ICE protests continually escalating. On Monday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end “Operation Metro Surge” and place a temporary restraining order on ICE and Border Patrol.

According to CNN, the lawsuit alleges that ICE and Border Patrol agents are infringing upon the First Amendment rights of protesters and invokes the 10th Amendment, which allows states to defend their rights. The lawsuit comes after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she would send hundreds more federal agents to Minneapolis not only to conduct immigration raids, but to target anti-ICE protesters. 

“Thousands of armed and masked DHS agents have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids and carry out dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional stops and arrests in sensitive public places, including schools and hospitals – all under the guise of lawful immigration enforcement,” the lawsuit says. The complaint also alleges that immigration agents have engaged in racial profiling, which is an accusation that has consistently been levied against ICE agents throughout these raids. 

During an interview with CNN’s Laura Coates on Monday, Ellison said, “Quite honestly, we need ICE to just do what ICE is supposed to do, which is immigration enforcement. They’re doing far more than that … by harassing people, by using excessive force on a routine basis.” 

I have watched far too many videos of ICE agents pepper-spraying Minneapolis protesters and blasting them in the face with chemical agents at close range. Hot take: this should not be happening in a normal, well-functioning democracy. 

Illinois filed a separate, similar lawsuit against DHS on the same day. 

“We have watched in horror as unchecked federal agents have aggressively assaulted and terrorized our communities and neighborhoods in Illinois, undermining Constitutional rights and threatening public safety,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. ICE and Border Patrol agents conducted “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago throughout the fall, which also resulted in mass protests and a woman getting shot.

I’m noticing a disturbing pattern here. 

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin released a statement accusing Ellison of “prioritizing politics over public safety,” and downplayed the allegations of racial profiling, adding, “Law enforcement uses ‘reasonable suspicion’ to make arrests, as protected under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

“President Trump’s job is to protect the American people and enforce the law — no matter who your mayor, governor, or state attorney general is,” McLaughlin wrote.

While DHS has tried to argue that these immigration raids are about “public safety,” every bit of footage I’ve watched of their raids through Minneapolis and Chicago shows ICE escalating tensions and endangering American citizens. It wasn’t an immigrant who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good; it was an ICE agent. It wasn’t an immigrant who fatally shot Keith Porter Jr., it was an ICE agent. It wasn’t an immigrant who shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago; it was a Border Patrol agent. It’s not immigrants causing chaos at public schools, hospitals, and courts; it’s ICE and Border Patrol agents. 

I hope for Minneapolis’ sake that the judge grants the restraining order, because it’s clear that, despite all their big talk about “protecting the American people” and enforcing laws, ICE and Border Patrol are more focused on terrorizing communities than immigration enforcement. 

SEE ALSO:

ICE Killed A White Mother. Why Are White Men Cheering?

Kristi Noem Is Deploying Even More ICE Agents To Minneapolis

ICE Agents And Border Patrol Continue To Terrorize Minnesota

ICE Is The Real Criminal Threat, Not Undocumented Immigrants

An Off-Duty ICE Agent Killed A Black Man In Los Angeles