DFL lawmakers draft new state lawsuit tool for ICE rights abuses
House DFL floor leader Jamie Long, Senate President Bobby Joe Champion and Sen. Omar Fateh will host a virtual community briefing at noon Wednesday to outline legislation creating a new cause of action in Minnesota courts for residents whose constitutional rights are violated by officials, explicitly framed around ICE and Border Patrol conduct during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. The bill would let Minnesotans sue in state court when federal, state or local officers trample Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment protections, a direct response to battering‑ram home entries, child detentions and disputed shootings like those that killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Minneapolis Council Member Aurin Chowdhury and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty will join the event to give community updates on local enforcement and charging decisions, signaling an emerging front where state and local actors try to hold federal agents accountable when federal internal reviews are seen as opaque or self‑protective. In the background, social media is full of residents asking "What concrete recourse do we actually have?" — this bill is the first serious attempt to give them one that doesn’t depend on the Justice Department policing itself.
📌 Key Facts
- A virtual community briefing is scheduled for noon Wednesday featuring Rep. Jamie Long, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and Sen. Omar Fateh.
- Lawmakers say they are drafting legislation to create a new cause of action in Minnesota courts for constitutional-rights violations by officials, aimed squarely at abuses in ICE operations.
- Minneapolis Council Member Aurin Chowdhury and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty will provide community updates on ICE activity and local legal responses.
📊 Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge is described as the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever, involving 2,000 federal agents sent to the Minneapolis area starting in January 2026, resulting in over 3,000 arrests of dangerous criminal illegal aliens.
2,000 federal agents sent to Minneapolis area to carry out 'largest immigration operation ever,' ICE says — PBS NewsHour
Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the U.S., estimated at 80,000 to 100,000 people, with over 90% of Somali immigrants in Minnesota having arrived as refugees due to protracted war in Somalia, and the majority now being U.S. citizens.
Majority of Somali immigrants in Minnesota are US citizens — KSTP
Somali immigrants in Minnesota commit more crime than natives, with male 18–29 year old Somali immigrants who arrived age 15 or younger having a higher incarceration rate than natives.
How a Manhattan Institute Comparison of Immigrant Incarceration Rates is Rhetorically Misleading — Cato Institute
The migration of Venezuelans to the U.S. is driven by political and economic crises in Venezuela, with over 831,000 Venezuelan encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border since 2020, and many receiving Temporary Protected Status.
U.S.-Mexico Border Update: Venezuelan Migration, Notes from Mexico, Border Barriers — WOLA
Somali Minnesotans generate at least $500 million in income annually and pay about $67 million in state and local taxes, contributing significantly to the state's economy despite high poverty rates.
Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay $67M taxes annually — KSTP
Alex Pretti and Renee Good were killed by federal agents during ICE operations in Minneapolis; Pretti was shot by two CBP agents, and both incidents involved federal officers firing on observers or citizens.
Timeline: A Moment-by-Moment Look at the Shooting of Alex Pretti — The New York Times
ICE operations in Minnesota have led to healthcare disruptions, with nearly half of likely undocumented immigrant adults avoiding seeking medical care since January 2025 due to immigration-related fears, resulting in deterred patient visits and public health risks.
Health Care Providers Warn of Impacts of Increased ICE Presence at Health Care Facilities — KFF
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