Overview
- The lawsuit, filed Monday, names the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Hennepin County, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt as defendants.
- DOJ alleges state and local measures unlawfully obstruct immigration enforcement, citing limits on sharing driver’s license data with ICE, refusals to honor detainers, and a nonbinding Ellison opinion on holding people for immigration requests.
- Federal lawyers argue the policies have led to releases of noncitizens with serious convictions and are preempted by federal law, asking a court to block or invalidate the measures.
- Ellison called the case baseless and said Minnesota cooperates to protect public safety, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter pledged to defend their separation ordinances in court.
- The filing follows Attorney General Pam Bondi’s listings and warning letters in a broader campaign that has produced mixed rulings, including an Illinois case dismissed and funding cutoffs blocked, even as Louisville reversed a policy and Nevada signed a cooperation agreement.