Federal Judge Denies Bid To Halt Operation Metro Surge
U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez denied a preliminary injunction, allowing Operation Metro Surge to continue while the lawsuit proceeds.
Overview
U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez denied a preliminary injunction Saturday sought by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, allowing Operation Metro Surge to continue, court documents show.
Plaintiffs argued the surge has caused racial profiling, excessive use of force, and disruptions to schools and health care and cited the Jan. 7 death of Renee Nicole Good and the Jan. 24 death of Alex Pretti, court filings show.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement he was "disappointed" and called the operation an "invasion" that has caused "fear, disruption, and harm," officials said.
Plaintiffs and local officials say Operation Metro Surge has deployed about 3,000 federal agents and has coincided with the deaths of two U.S. citizens, court filings and statements show.
Menendez denied immediate injunctive relief but wrote the lawsuit shows "profound and even heartbreaking" effects; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office will press the case and pursue appeals, court documents show.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as critical of the ICE surge by foregrounding harm and local outrage (judge's “profound and even heartbreaking” ruling; repeated mentions of deaths — Pretti, Good — and planned protests), privileging state and critic perspectives while treating DHS/Trump statements as brief counterpoints rather than narrative drivers.
Sources (20)
FAQ
Operation Metro Surge is a federal immigration enforcement operation launched in December 2025 by the Trump administration, deploying over 3,000 armed DHS agents, including ICE and CBP, to conduct raids and arrests in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued alleging the operation violates the First and Tenth Amendments, involves racial profiling, excessive force, disrupts schools and health care, and is politically motivated retaliation rather than legitimate enforcement.
Judge Menendez denied the preliminary injunction on January 31, 2026, allowing Operation Metro Surge to continue, stating plaintiffs had not met the burden of proof and evidence supported both sides, though acknowledging profound effects.
Reported harms include the deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24, racial profiling, excessive force, community fear leading to school and health care disruptions, and economic impacts.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called it disappointing and an 'invasion' causing fear and harm; AG Keith Ellison plans to continue fighting and appeal; U.S. AG Pam Bondi and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem hailed it as a win for public safety.
History
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