A major legal fight has emerged in Minnesota as the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of discriminatory immigration enforcement and unconstitutional arrests during an ongoing federal surge in the state.
The 72-page filing submitted on Thursday targets the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Kristi Noem, and multiple Customs and Border Protection personnel. The complaint claims federal agents have deployed aggressive tactics that disproportionately impact Somali and Latino communities, resulting in what the ACLU describes as an unprecedented level of overreach.
Allegations of Excessive Force and Improper Detainment
The lawsuit is brought on behalf of three U.S. citizens, each recounting encounters with federal agents during the heightened operation. One plaintiff, 20-year-old Mubashir Khalif Hussen, alleges he was detained without probable cause in December while walking through Minneapolis’s Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. His account states agents ignored his assertions of citizenship and restrained him before transporting him to a federal building for processing.
According to the legal complaint, Hussen also experienced a second confrontation in early January, stating an officer discharged pepper spray at him from a moving vehicle as he filmed an enforcement scene from a sidewalk.
Another plaintiff, 25-year-old Mahamed Eydarus, alleges that he and his mother were approached by masked agents while clearing snow outside their home. Their account claims officers demanded identification, questioned their citizenship status, and criticized them for speaking Somali.
The third plaintiff, identified pseudonymously as Javier Doe, asserts that Border Patrol personnel tackled him to the ground and restrained him with a knee to the neck after refusing to answer questions about his citizenship on January 8.
Federal Surge Reaches Unusual Scale
At the center of the dispute is “Operation Metro Surge,” a large federal immigration initiative that has sent more than 3,000 federal officers into Minneapolis and surrounding communities, including over 2,000 ICE personnel and hundreds of Border Patrol agents. City leaders report that local police are now vastly outnumbered.
Residents have described frequent officer presence in neighborhoods, unmarked vehicles, and officers appearing in stores, parking lots, and public spaces. Videos circulated online show tense arrest scenes, broken vehicle windows, and the use of chemical agents during apprehensions.
The escalation follows the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good by a federal agent earlier in January, an event that triggered continued demonstrations and intensified political scrutiny.
Political Response and Federal Defense
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have criticized the extensive federal deployment, calling it an intrusion into state affairs and a threat to constitutional protections. Minneapolis city officials issued a public statement demanding that ICE personnel withdraw from the area.
Federal leaders, however, have publicly signaled continued support for the operation. Vice President JD Vance suggested officers would engage in door-to-door efforts to enforce immigration laws and indicated that the agent involved in the Good shooting should be shielded from prosecution. The Department of Homeland Security maintains that agents act within legal authority and use force only in response to perceived threats.
Separately, FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed that federal investigators are examining groups allegedly funding protests against the immigration surge. Patel characterized the demonstrations as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt governmental operations.
ACLU Seeks Judicial Intervention
The ACLU contends that the federal sweep violates constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, as well as anti-discrimination statutes. Attorneys representing the organization argue that the government is arbitrarily stopping individuals based on appearance, language, and skin color rather than lawful suspicion.
“The Constitution does not permit the government to detain, question, or arrest people solely for looking foreign,” said attorneys associated with the case. The lawsuit seeks an injunction halting what the filing describes as unlawful policing tactics and a pattern of racial targeting.
The Trump administration has repeatedly defended its immigration enforcement policies, stating they are aimed at individuals living in the United States without legal status and particularly those with criminal backgrounds.
The case now moves into the federal court system, where judges will determine whether Minnesota’s immigration operations constitute lawful enforcement or unconstitutional overreach.
For more in-depth analysis on Trump signaling a possible Insurrection Act deployment as Minnesota tensions over ICE operations mount, be sure to read this full blog.
