Minnesota, Illinois sue seeking to halt immigration enforcement

Minnesota and Illinois separately sued the Trump administration on Monday, contending that its immigrant enforcement campaigns violated the states’ constitutional rights. The Democratic-led states are seeking to limit the use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, contending that agents have harmed cities and residents. The states filed their lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its agencies, including ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul also joined in their states’ respective suits.

Minnesota is seeking a temporary restraining order against DHS to halt what it calls an unprecedented surge of agents into the state. Illinois asked the court to order federal agents to stop using illegal tactics, such as using tear gas without warning against bystanders, scanning the biometric information of Illinois residents, or entering private property without a warrant or permission.

The lawsuits follow after an ICE agent fatally shot protester Renee Good during a confrontation in Minneapolis. Video footage of the incident sparked protests around the country. As of Monday, the ICE agent has not been charged for the shooting, although the incident remains under investigation by the FBI. In Chicago, tensions have escalated due to protests over immigration raids.

What else do the lawsuits argue?

• Both lawsuits cited states’ powers under the Constitution’s 10th Amendment, stating that the DHS has violated the states’ sovereignty and rights to rely on their own law enforcement agents, and not federal ones.

• Minnesota also alleged that the DHS targeted the state because of the state’s voting habits and the political viewpoints of its leaders, which violates the First Amendment. Agents have impeded free speech rights also by using force against individuals who have peacefully protested, Minnesota attorneys argued.

• Illinois added that the Trump administration has long threatened and made derogatory statements against the state regarding its lack of support for federal immigration law.

• Minnesota said that the DHS has caused a strain on local police resources by forcing officers to divert from normal duties to respond to incidents involving ICE agents. According to the lawsuit, Minneapolis officers have worked thousands of overtime hours due to this, costing the city $2 million in overtime pay.

• Both states contended that federal agents are harming and terrorizing citizens by arresting what Minnesota described as innocent bystanders and law-abiding citizens. Illinois said in its lawsuit that DHS has arrested people without warrants or probable cause.

How has the Trump administration responded?

Vice President J.D. Vance wrote on social media that ICE raids were only becoming chaotic in Democratic-run sanctuary cities where he said local authorities were opposing federal law enforcement, especially regarding immigration. Doing so effectively encouraged riots in the streets, he said.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the DHS’ defense of the fatal Minneapolis shooting.