Minnesota and Illinois have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, seeking to block a surge of federal immigration enforcement officers sent into their states following the fatal shooting of a woman by a U.S. immigration officer in Minneapolis last week.
Minnesota’s lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Keith Ellison, names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and senior immigration officials as defendants and asks a federal court to declare the deployment of federal agents unconstitutional and unlawful, and to halt the operation with an emergency restraining order.
Ellison accused the administration of racially profiling residents and targeting Minnesota because it is governed by Democrats. He said the presence of thousands of armed and masked federal agents had caused serious harm to the state.
“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop,” Ellison said.
Illinois filed a similar lawsuit on Monday (12 January). Democratic Governor JB Pritzker said the state was seeking to block what he called the Department of Homeland Security’s “dangerous use of force.” The Illinois case asks a federal court to prevent U.S. Customs and Border Protection from carrying out civil immigration enforcement in the state and to restrict tactics such as the use of tear gas, trespassing on private property and obscuring licence plates.
Minnesota’s lawsuit also calls for limits on federal officers’ conduct, including banning threats or displays of force against people not subject to arrest, requiring visible identification, activating body-worn cameras and prohibiting officers from concealing their faces.
The Department of Homeland Security rejected the accusations, saying Minnesota was a “sanctuary” state that had failed to enforce federal immigration laws. Secretary Noem accused state leaders of putting politics ahead of public safety and vowed to continue the administration’s crackdown.
The legal action follows the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on 7 January while observing a federal operation in Minneapolis. The Trump administration has said the officer acted in self-defence, while critics and protesters have challenged that account.
Tensions remained high on Monday when ICE agents confronted crowds in Minneapolis during another enforcement action. Reuters witnesses said agents used tear gas and chemical spray after bystanders threw snowballs, before ultimately retreating.
President Trump has defended the deployment of federal officers to cities and states led by Democrats as necessary to combat illegal immigration and crime. Democratic leaders, however, say the actions amount to a politically motivated abuse of power, deepening divisions between the federal government and state authorities.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Armenia, marking the first time a sitting U.S. vice president or president has visited the country, as Washington seeks to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus and advance a U.S.-brokered peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
Convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions before Congress, while her lawyer said she could clear President Donald Trump of wrongdoing if granted clemency.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Several avalanches struck northern Italy on Saturday, killing at least three people, as rescue officials warned the death toll could rise with unstable conditions persisting across the Alps.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Saturday after completing a round of talks with Iran.
Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight on Saturday, marking the second such strike in less than a week, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
Convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions before Congress, while her lawyer said she could clear President Donald Trump of wrongdoing if granted clemency.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has accused Afghanistan’s authorities of fostering conditions “similar to or worse than pre-9/11”, as tensions between the two neighbours intensify amid a surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, saying that “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
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