Federal Judge Upholds ICE Surge in Minnesota as Protests Intensify

Sat Jan 31 2026 23:46:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A federal judge has denied the state of Minnesota's request to block a significant surge of ICE agents in the state, despite widespread protests and concerns about the consequences of such operations. The ruling comes in the wake of two fatal shootings involving ICE agents that have sparked outrage across the nation.

A federal judge recently turned down Minnesota's request to halt the deployment of additional ICE agents in response to fatal encounters involving federal agents. Despite acknowledging the likely negative repercussions of this surge on local communities, the judge stated that state officials could not universally demonstrate that ICE's actions were unlawful. This ruling comes during a time of heightened protest against ICE's tactics, amid the deaths of two individuals shot by federal agents, prompting widespread public outcry and further calls for reform.

A federal judge on Saturday denied a state government request to block the Trump administration's deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a ruling, District Court Judge Katherine Menendez stated that the immigration enforcement operation has had, and will likely continue to have, profound and even heartbreaking consequences on the State of Minnesota. However, she clarified that state officials had not proven the surge of ICE agents was unlawful.

This decision comes as thousands nationwide have protested the fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal agents, leading to demonstrations in cities across the country including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington DC.

The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have ignited public outrage and attracted criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle. The US Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into these incidents, following the fatal shooting of Pretti by ICE agents.

In her ruling, Judge Menendez noted evidence of racial profiling and excessive use of force by ICE and other federal agents, yet stated that state officials had not provided metrics to determine when legal law enforcement crosses into unlawful actions. State and local leaders claim that the deployment of 3,000 immigration agents violates the state's sovereignty.

This ruling has led to a coordinated response from activists, calling for a National Shutdown in which Americans are urged to refrain from work, school, and shopping to protest ICE funding. Demonstrators recently formed the letters SOS on a frozen lake in Minneapolis, conveying a message of distress.

Despite these protests, the Department of Homeland Security insists they are focusing on the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens, but critics counter that many migrants and citizens without criminal records are being adversely affected by these operations.

Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey have voiced their objections and called for the withdrawal of federal agents from Minneapolis, amid escalating tensions and public disapproval of the ICE initiatives in the state.