A federal judge on Saturday denied a request from the state government to block the Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In her ruling, District Court Judge Katherine Menendez acknowledged that the immigration enforcement operation “has had, and will likely continue to have, profound and even heartbreaking, consequences on the State of Minnesota.”
However, she stated that state officials had not provided sufficient evidence to prove that the Trump administration’s surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis was unlawful.
The ruling comes amid nationwide protests sparked by the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents.
Demonstrations were expected to continue in Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon, following protests held across the U.S. on Friday in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. Organizers had called for a nationwide “stay home” action, urging Americans to refrain from work and school.
The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have ignited public outcry and drawn criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Earlier on Friday, the U.S. Justice Department announced the opening of a civil rights investigation into the death of Alex Pretti.
Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was the second Minneapolis resident fatally shot by federal immigration officials since their increased presence in the state. Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent on January 7.
In her Saturday ruling, Judge Menendez noted there was “evidence that ICE and CBP agents have engaged in racial profiling, excessive use of force, and other harmful actions.”
However, she added that state officials “have provided no metric by which to determine when lawful law enforcement becomes unlawful commandeering.” State and local officials had argued in their lawsuit that the deployment of 3,000 immigration agents, despite objections, violated the state’s sovereignty.
Organizers of Friday’s nationwide protests, dubbed the National Shutdown, called for “no work, no school, no shopping” on January 30 to send a message to “stop funding ICE.”
The action was organized in response to the deaths of Pretti and Good, as well as others killed by ICE, including Silverio Villegas-Gonzales, who was shot by an ICE agent in September 2025, according to the group’s website.
Protesters formed the letters “SOS” on a frozen lake in southern Minneapolis, while another group marched through the streets carrying a large replica of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
Singer Bruce Springsteen also performed a newly released song titled “Streets of Minneapolis” in honor of Pretti and Good at a concert in the city.
On Thursday, border security official Tom Homan suggested the Trump administration could “draw down” federal forces in the state if local officials cooperate.
“We are not surrendering our mission at all. We’re just doing it smarter,” he stated during a news conference.
Homan began leading on-the-ground efforts in Minneapolis after it was announced that Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino would be leaving the area.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday evening: “We will keep our country safe, we’ll do whatever we can to keep our country safe.”
Approximately 3,000 federal agents were deployed to Minneapolis at Trump’s direction.
The DHS has stated it is arresting the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” in an effort to restore public safety in Minnesota. However, critics contend that migrants with clean records and U.S. citizens are being caught up in the operation.
Dubbed Operation Metro Surge, the immigration enforcement initiative has sparked widespread opposition from residents in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other cities throughout the state.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have both called for the withdrawal of federal agents from Minneapolis.
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Lemon says he was just doing his job as a journalist reporting on the protests at the church.