MINNEAPOLIS — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit this week against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging racial profiling in the federal government’s recent immigration operations in Minnesota. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for Minnesota, represents three U.S. citizens who say they were targeted because of their Somali or Latino heritage.
The lawsuit comes in the wake of heightened tensions in the Twin Cities following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal immigration officer on Jan. 7. The incident sparked days of protests and intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement activities, particularly a surge of roughly 3,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel operating in the state.
According to the complaint, 20-year-old Mubashir Khalif Hussen, a Somali-American and local mental health provider, was stopped on Dec. 10 while on a lunch break. Despite repeatedly showing proof of U.S. citizenship, Hussen said ICE agents forced him into a vehicle, shackled him, and processed his fingerprints before ultimately releasing him.
Similarly, 25-year-old Mahamed Eydarus and his mother, both U.S. citizens of Somali descent, said agents questioned them about speaking a foreign language while shoveling snow outside their home. Both were later cleared after presenting identification.
“The Trump administration has targeted Somali and Latino communities through Operation Metro Surge,” the ACLU said in a statement. “ICE and CBP agents have made arrests without warrants or probable cause, singling out individuals based solely on appearance or ethnicity.”
The Department of Homeland Security denied the allegations. A DHS spokesperson called the claims “disgusting, reckless, and categorically false,” asserting that enforcement actions are based on legal status, not race or ethnicity, and adhere to Fourth Amendment protections.
In a related legal action, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a separate lawsuit on behalf of the state and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The 80-page filing seeks to halt the federal operation, arguing it has caused widespread fear, disrupted schools and businesses, and forced local police to log thousands of hours in overtime.
Ellison’s office contends the federal surge is disproportionate, noting that Minnesota’s population of noncitizen immigrants without legal status is roughly 1.5%, far below the national average. “Immigration enforcement is clearly a pretext for a politically motivated show of force,” the statement read.
A federal judge has yet to issue a temporary restraining order, requesting additional evidence before ruling. President Donald Trump reaffirmed the continuation of ICE operations on social media, while DHS issued warnings that obstructing federal officers is a federal crime.
The lawsuits and public scrutiny underscore growing legal and political challenges surrounding immigration enforcement in Minnesota, raising questions about racial profiling, use of force, and federal authority in local communities.
