Federal Judge Declines to Block Federal Immigration Enforcement Surge in Minnesota

The decision came after border czar Tom Homan signaled a drawdown of agents in the city if local authorities cooperate with federal authorities.

Federal agents in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 15, 2026. Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge on Jan. 31 denied Minnesota’s emergency request to block the Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of federal agents to the Twin Cities in a large-scale immigration enforcement operation.

In her ruling on Jan. 31, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez wrote that the “court must view Plaintiffs’ claims through the lens of the specific legal framework they invoke, and, having done so, finds that Plaintiffs have not met their burden ... the motion is denied.”