Judge Declines Immediate Ruling on Request to Halt Federal Immigration Actions
A judge made no immediate decision Wednesday on Minnesota’s request to suspend the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the state, where federal agents have yanked people from cars and confronted angry bystanders demanding they leave. The request comes amid escalating tensions in Minneapolis following aggressive enforcement actions and a recent fatal shooting involving an immigration officer.
Plumes of tear gas, the deployment of chemical irritants and the sound of protest whistles have become common on Minneapolis streets, particularly since an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head on Jan. 7 as she drove away.
Demonstrations have continued near federal buildings and at the site of the shooting, with officers detaining people and using crowd-control measures.
During the first hearing in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, state Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter urged the court to intervene quickly. “What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered,” he said, arguing that the federal government’s actions are violating constitutional rights, including free speech.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez said she would keep the case “on the front burner” but set a briefing schedule rather than issuing an immediate ruling.
She gave the U.S. Justice Department until Monday to respond to the request for a temporary restraining order and said the state and cities would have additional days to reply. Menendez noted that there are few legal precedents addressing some of the key issues raised in the case and described the matters before her as grave and important.
Justice Department attorney Andrew Warden said the slower approach outlined by the judge was appropriate. Menendez is also overseeing a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officers when dealing with protesters and observers, with a decision in that case possibly coming this week.
The Department of Homeland Security says it has made more than 2,000 arrests in Minnesota since early December and has vowed not to back down. CNN reported that the Pentagon is preparing to send military lawyers to Minneapolis to assist federal authorities.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the enforcement actions amount to racial discrimination. “What we see right now is discrimination taking place only on the basis of race: Are you Latino or are you Somali? And then it is indiscriminate thereafter,” Frey told Fox News, adding that U.S. citizens have been detained and that those incidents are well documented.
Concerns have also been raised by tribal leaders. The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota said four tribal members were detained last week while at a homeless camp in Minnesota, with three still in custody as of late Tuesday. “Enrolled tribal members are citizens of the United States by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty,” said President Frank Star Comes Out, who demanded their release.
