Federal Judge Finds ICE Used “Unconstitutional” Race-Based Stops in Minnesota
A federal judge says immigration agents in Minnesota likely used unconstitutional enforcement tactics, but the court stopped short of halting the operations.
The ruling centers on allegations that federal immigration officers carried out race-based stops and warrantless arrests during recent enforcement actions across the state.
According to FOX 9 and federal court filings, U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud concluded that plaintiffs showed immigration authorities likely maintained policies allowing agents to stop people based on ethnicity or race without reasonable suspicion.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and several individuals detained during federal immigration operations. Plaintiffs testified in court that they believed agents targeted them because of race, ethnicity, or speaking a foreign language.
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But despite that finding, the judge declined to issue an injunction that would have blocked the enforcement tactics statewide.
“Defendants adopted a policy authorizing federal immigration officers to conduct investigatory stops based on ethnicity or race without reasonable suspicion,” Tostrud wrote in the 111-page order.
The court said plaintiffs still failed to meet the legal standard required for emergency relief because none of the witnesses reported being stopped or arrested again after the initial encounters.
The ruling comes amid mounting legal challenges to federal immigration actions tied to large-scale enforcement deployments in Minnesota, which have triggered lawsuits, protests, and scrutiny over constitutional protections.
The case will continue moving through federal court as the broader claims against immigration authorities are litigated.
The dispute is likely to shape future court battles over how immigration enforcement is carried out in Minnesota.
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