Minnesota and Illinois sue Trump over ICE enforcement

🦆Minnesota and 🌽Illinois, along with targeted cities, filed federal lawsuits Jan. 12, 2026, to block Trump administration immigration enforcement operations. Minnesota Attorney General KEKeith Ellison filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on behalf of the state and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed separately in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Both suits argue ICE operations violate the U.S. Constitution (Tenth Amendment, Posse Comitatus Act) and federal law. The lawsuits seek preliminary injunctions to halt operations while the cases proceed through the courts.

Trump launched "Operation Metro Surge" in 🦆Minnesota in Dec. 2025, deploying thousands of armed and masked DHS agents—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—to the Twin Cities. The operation followed "Operation Midway Blitz" in 🌽Illinois, launched Sep. 2025, which targeted Chicago and suburbs. DHS deployed agents in tactical gear, body armor, and masks, conducting raids on homes, workplaces, and public spaces. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, both Democrats, condemned the operations as federal overreach and unconstitutional use of federal power against states.

The 🦆Minnesota operation resulted in the death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, who was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026. Good was driving her Honda Pilot on a residential street and wasn't a target of the operation. Video evidence shows Ross walked to the front-left of her vehicle as Good began driving forward in the direction of traffic, turning her vehicle away from Ross, when he fired three shots, killing her. DHS hasn't released full details about the shooting, including whether body camera footage exists. Minnesota AG Ellison cited Good's death in the lawsuit as evidence of 'dangerous and unconstitutional' tactics. The shooting sparked nationwide protests and calls for a federal civil rights investigation.

By Jan. 9, 2026, Minneapolis Police officers had worked more than 3,000 hours of overtime supporting federal operations. The estimated cost to Minneapolis taxpayers for overtime between Jan. 8 and Jan. 11 alone is over $2 million. 🦆Minnesota's lawsuit argues the operations impose massive costs on state and local governments without federal reimbursement. 🌽Illinois' lawsuit makes similar claims. DHS hasn't offered to reimburse states or cities for costs incurred supporting federal immigration enforcement operations. Cities argue they're forced to choose between supporting federal operations or risking conflict with federal agents.

🦆Minnesota's lawsuit argues Trump is targeting the state "not based on any real or legitimate concern for the enforcement of immigration laws or promotion of public safety" but to score "political points" against a Democrat-led state. The suit cites Trump's public statements criticizing Minnesota Gov. Walz and sanctuary city policies. 🌽Illinois AG Raoul declared that "Border Patrol agents and ICE officers have acted as occupiers rather than officers of the law," violating constitutional limits on federal power and interfering with state sovereignty. Both states argue the operations are punitive political retaliation against states that didn't support Trump.

DHS spokesperson TMTricia McLaughlin called the 🌽Illinois lawsuit "baseless" and said of the 🦆Minnesota case, "We have the Constitution on our side on this, and we look forward to proving that in court." McLaughlin said the operations target "dangerous criminal aliens who pose threats to public safety and national security." DHS cited sanctuary city policies in Minnesota and Illinois as obstruction of federal immigration enforcement. The Trump administration argues the operations are lawful under federal immigration statutes. DHS hasn't provided data on how many people arrested in these operations had violent criminal records.

The lawsuits invoke the Tenth Amendment, which reserves to states powers not delegated to the federal government, and the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits using federal military forces for domestic law enforcement without statutory authority. The suits also allege violations of the Fourth Amendment (unreasonable searches and seizures) and due process. Legal experts say the cases could clarify limits on federal immigration enforcement authority and the president's power to deploy federal agents in states that refuse to cooperate with ICE. The cases may reach the Supreme Court by summer 2026.