Chicago, Illinois — Illinois and Minnesota filed separate lawsuits Monday accusing the Trump administration of carrying out a militarized immigration crackdown that state officials say amounts to a federal “occupation” of Democratic-led cities.
The lawsuits seek to block ongoing operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol units, arguing that federal agents have exceeded their lawful authority and undermined state and local governance. Illinois and the city of Chicago allege that immigration agents have operated like military forces, deploying heavily armed personnel who conduct stops, interrogations, and arrests in residential neighborhoods. The lawsuit claims these actions have included the use of chemical agents against civilians during enforcement activity.
Minnesota’s lawsuit makes similar claims, asserting that the administration’s immigration push is driven by political retaliation rather than public safety concerns. State officials argue Minnesota has been disproportionately targeted despite having fewer undocumented residents than several Republican-led states that have not faced comparable federal operations.
Illinois officials emphasized that state law prohibits local police from enforcing federal civil immigration statutes, a policy designed to preserve trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. They argue the federal crackdown directly interferes with that framework and threatens public safety.
The legal challenges follow heightened tensions after a federal agent fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good earlier this month during a protest. The White House dismissed the lawsuits, calling them politically motivated and defending the operations as lawful enforcement of federal immigration law. Federal agencies declined to comment.
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