The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that federal immigration officials in Minnesota are engaged in racial profiling and unlawful arrests during widespread Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. This 72-page lawsuit, filed on behalf of three U.S. citizens, alleges that Somali and Latino communities in Minnesota have been disproportionately targeted, infringing upon their constitutional rights.
The lawsuit names the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its Secretary Kristi Noem, and several Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers as defendants. It highlights a “startling pattern of abuse” driven by the DHS that the ACLU argues is fundamentally disrupting civic life in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota.
According to the ACLU, masked federal agents are stopping and arresting numerous individuals based solely on their race and perceived ethnicity, regardless of their citizenship status. The lawsuit states that these practices have ensnared non-citizens but also unjustly included many U.S. citizens in their operations, featuring tactics that include shackling them without lawful cause and dismissing their claims of citizenship.
One plaintiff, 20-year-old Mubashir Khalif Hussen, detailed an incident where he was detained by ICE agents while strolling in Minneapolis. Despite asserting his citizenship, he claims that the agents ignored his requests for identification, used excessive force by putting him in a headlock, and transported him to a federal building without any proper legal justification. After being shackled and fingerprinted without medical assistance or water, he was eventually released.
Another plaintiff, 25-year-old Mahamed Eydarus, described an encounter with masked agents while he was shoveling snow with his mother. The agents allegedly confronted them without identifying themselves or presenting a warrant. Eydarus reported being questioned about his immigration status, and his mother was asked to remove her niqab—a religious headscarf—while they were interrogated about their choice of language. The agents left after failing to provide any explanation or justification for their actions.
In response to these incidents, ACLU Minnesota attorney Catherine Ahlin-Halverson condemned the actions of ICE and CBP, describing them as both illegal and morally deplorable. She asserted that such conduct creates a climate of fear within immigrant communities. ACLU attorney Kate Huddleston reinforced these sentiments, adding that law enforcement cannot arrest individuals based solely on racial biases, as these actions contradict fundamental principles of liberty and equality inherent in the United States’ legal framework.
The Trump administration has defended its operations, contending that the raids target individuals living illegally in the U.S., particularly those with criminal backgrounds. However, these immigration sweeps have faced considerable backlash following the recent fatal incident involving a 37-year-old mother, Renee Good, allegedly killed by a federal agent. This has intensified protests both in Minnesota and nationwide, prompting serious discussion about the appropriateness of federal enforcement tactics. Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz and local officials have criticized the deployment of thousands of federal agents, branding it as an unconstitutional “federal invasion” that terrorizes communities and violates residents’ rights.
As this situation unfolds, it highlights the ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and community rights, revealing the complexities of balancing national security interests with maintaining civil liberties.