A federal judge in Minnesota on Wednesday refused to restrict, at least for now, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state after authorities requested it following the death of a U.S. woman who was shot and killed by a federal agent.
Federal Judge Katherine Menendez opted not to make any immediate decision in the first hearing of the case brought by the state and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to stop immigration agents sent by the Trump Administration, despite pushback from state and local authorities.
Judge refuses to stop ICE operation in Minnesota
Something horrifying is happening in America: Because he was filming ICE Nazis, whuch is protected under the constitution, an American citizen in St. Paul, Minnesota was brutalized to the point of becoming unresponsive. What happened in Nazi Germany is happening in America. 😳👇 pic.twitter.com/143V5w3SMf
– Bill Madden (@maddenifico) January 13, 2026
Following the death of Renee Good, 37, in the midst of a raid in Minneapolis, the city witnessed a wave of protests against the actions of federal agents and their presence on the streets.
In response, ICE agents and other federal agencies stepped up their campaign in the city and began making arrests at homes where undocumented immigrant families allegedly reside.
Arrests have also been seen of people while driving their cars.
“We need a pause. We need to lower the temperature,” said Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter, according to several media reports.
The magistrate, despite not having made a decision, assured that she would keep the case on the front line and gave the Justice Department until Monday to file a response to the restraining order filed against the federal agents.
After that deadline, the judge said, the cities and the state will have a few more days to respond.
As reported by the Trump Administration, deployed agents have detained dozens of refugees who were in the state and will now re-examine their case.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are sanctuary cities, as those that limit their cooperation with federal immigration agents to protect undocumented people from detention and deportation are known.
In both there is a significant Somali community, which Trump has accused of “trashing” the state and wanting to commit welfare fraud, a reason he used to send in the immigration agents.
Within the tensions between the Trump Administration and Minnesota, motivated by said deployment and by the investigation into the death of Renee Good, the Department of Justice opted Wednesday to go a step further and filed a lawsuit against the state for, they say, implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies vetoed by the Republican.
“Making hiring decisions based on immutable characteristics such as race and sex is simple discrimination, and the Trump Administration does not tolerate such DEI policies,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Filed under: ICE in Minnesota
With information from EFE
