Minnesota And Illinois Sue Trump Over ICE Agents During Operation Metro Surge In Minneapolis

Minnesota and Illinois sued the Trump administration over the deployment of ICE agents, calling it "Un abuso flagrante de poder" and alleging "fuerza excesiva y letal, arrestos racistas sin orden judicial y acciones arbitrarias" during Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities of Mineápolis and Saint Paul.

The lawsuit pointed to the January 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman killed by an ICE agent in Mineápolis, and said the operation had produced "más de 2.000 detenciones" since it began in December.

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In a separate development tied to the same Operation Metro Surge, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Monday that ICE agent Christian Castro faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis.

Moriarty said, "Mr. Castro is an ICE agent, but his federal badge does not make him immune from state charges for his criminal conduct in Minnesota," as a nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest.

The case also sits alongside federal claims and state challenges over investigations into shootings during the crackdown, with Politico describing the charges as stemming from the January incident and the state lawsuit seeking access to investigation materials.

At a news conference, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told reporters, "There is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal officers who commit crimes in this state or any other," while Politico reported that Todd Lyons said two federal officers were under investigation by the Justice Department after a joint review found sworn testimony may have made untruthful statements.

CNN reported that DHS responded to the case by calling Minnesota politicians’ actions "unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt," while also saying "Lying under oath is a serious federal offense" and that officers may face disciplinary action including termination.

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In Minnesota’s broader political fight over the crackdown, El HuffPost quoted Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey saying, "Una cosa que puedo decirles con certeza es que no vamos a dar marcha atrás" and arguing the city would seek court intervention to reject what he called unconstitutional conduct.

El HuffPost also described how the Trump administration accused Renee Nicole Good of trying to hit the agent who killed her and called the incident a "acto de terrorismo doméstico," even as local authorities said she was in the raid area as a legal observer.

The dispute over facts and jurisdiction has continued to play out as the state seeks evidence and as federal agencies defend their account of events during Operation Metro Surge.

The charges against Christian Castro add to a chain of cases tied to Operation Metro Surge, with Politico noting that Castro is the second federal immigration agent to be charged by Moriarty’s office after she brought assault charges against Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. last month.

Politico also reported that a federal judge dismissed charges against Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Aljorna with prejudice in February, after prosecutors wrote that Sosa-Celis was lawfully in the U.S. at the time of the shooting and that Moriarty’s office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had thoroughly investigated before bringing charges.

CNN said the case could carry potential penalties if convicted, including a sentence of three to seven years for each of the assault charges and a fine of up to $14,000, while the falsely reporting a crime charge could bring up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Meanwhile, El HuffPost described how the state lawsuit asks that ICE operations stop in Minnesota, alleging the presence of federal agents has "han sembrado el miedo entre las personas que viven, trabajan y visitan Mineápolis" and that the operation is an "aumento sin precedentes" in agents’ presence.

With protests continuing after the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and other shootings during the crackdown, the legal fight over accountability and evidence access remains central to how the Metro Surge operation is challenged and what happens to officers and agencies involved.