Minnesota, Trump administration clash over future of immigration surge suit

Minnesota and the Trump administration sparred before U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez over whether the state's lawsuit against Operation Metro Surge should survive now that the federal agents have withdrawn. The state argues the threat of a repeat deployment is real, citing over $600 million in lost business revenue and $240 million in lost wages during the operation, plus a string of subsequent shootings.

The Justice Department wants the case dismissed for lack of standing but pointedly declined to argue the surge is moot, meaning it won't promise not to return. Menendez noticed this too, telling DOJ attorneys they're trying to use standing to get what they won't put on the table for mootness.

Minnesota now seeks a permanent ruling that the underlying policy, masked agents, racial profiling, roving patrols, was unconstitutional, along with a block on reviving DHS's revoked 'sensitive locations' guidance near schools and churches. The government's lawyer insists officers retain discretion to arrest people at those locations regardless of any court ruling on the guidance itself.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.