USA Federal officers in Minnesota - court examines legality
Could the deployment of thousands of federal officers in the US state of Minnesota be stopped, at least for the time being? This question is at the center of a hearing that has been taking place in Minneapolis since this morning (local time) following the fatal shootings of two US citizens within a short period of time by US federal officers. Judge Katherine M. Menendez is weighing up whether the deployment of thousands of federal officers by the US government violates the sovereignty of the state of Minnesota.
26.01.2026, 18:17
SDA
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the state had filed a lawsuit against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, among others, after 37-year-old Renée Good died after being shot by ICE immigration officials. The plaintiffs allege that more than 2,000 armed and masked officers from her department carried out unconstitutional checks and arrests.
"Operation Metro Surge is essentially a federal invasion of the Twin Cities," it continues. This operation, launched by the US government in December "under the guise of lawful enforcement of immigration laws", is entirely politically motivated and serves to "punish" political opponents. It also complains that the operation is aimed at "stirring up outrage, spreading fear and causing emotional distress among the population."
The US government takes a different view: the president is authorized to enforce federal laws. This does not violate the sovereignty of a federal state.
On Saturday morning, 37-year-old US citizen Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal officers on a street - just a few weeks after the fatal shooting of Good, also in Minneapolis. Since then, criticism of US President Donald Trump has been growing, but he has been unyielding. The Democratic-ruled city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota have long been a thorn in the Republican's side.
