Minnesota Sues Federal Government Over ICE Surge Shootings
State officials ask a federal court to compel DOJ and DHS to turn over evidence from three shootings during Operation Metro Surge.
Straight Arrow NewsMinnesota sues Trump admin alleging they are blocking shooting investigations
CBS NewsMinnesota officials sue federal government over Renee Good, Alex Pretti investigations
FOX NewsMinnesota sues Trump admin to access evidence in federal shootings, including Alex Pretti, Renee Good cases
PBS NewsHourMinnesota sues to obtain evidence in shootings by federal officers during ICE surge
Overview
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and BCA Superintendent Drew Evans filed a lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging DOJ and DHS blocked access to evidence.
The suit seeks evidence in the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the wounding of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge, which the Department of Homeland Security called its biggest operation in history.
State officials said the FBI and DOJ initially agreed to cooperate but then blocked BCA investigators from interviews and evidence, and Moriarty said they are "prepared to fight" for transparency and accountability.
The operation deployed thousands of federal agents, Democrats have blocked DHS funding over the crackdown, and reports say Kristi Noem spent $220 million from a DHS fund on an advertising campaign that drew criticism.
The complaint accuses the federal government of violating the Administrative Procedure Act and the 10th Amendment, seeks court orders to compel evidence, and says Touhy requests for documents have gone unanswered.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present a measured, fact-focused account that balances Minnesota officials’ allegations with federal responses and legal context. The piece foregrounds quoted claims (Moriarty’s “desperate to avoid”) while also including DHS/DOJ explanations and a law professor’s analysis, showing restraint by presenting competing statements rather than editorializing.
FAQ
Operation Metro Surge is a large-scale immigration enforcement operation launched by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in December 2025, deploying thousands of ICE and CBP agents primarily to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to conduct arrests related to immigration violations, described as DHS's largest interior operation to date.
The fatal shootings involved Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman killed on January 7, 2026, by an ICE agent, and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and ICU nurse killed on January 24, 2026, by a CBP agent; Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was wounded in a related incident.
The lawsuit filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, and BCA Superintendent Drew Evans seeks to compel the DOJ and DHS to provide evidence from the three shootings, alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the 10th Amendment after federal agencies blocked access to interviews and documents.
On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fired three times at Renee Good's SUV after she reversed and then moved forward while agents approached her vehicle during an enforcement action.
The operation has resulted in over 3,000 arrests, including nearly 150 U.S. citizens for assault or obstructing law enforcement, and has triggered widespread protests and clashes in Minneapolis-St. Paul.