An ICE Special Response Team officer stands during an enforcement operation in Los Angeles on June 12, 2025. Photo: Tia Dufour / U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Public Domain
(The Center Square) – Minnesota has won a legal battle against the Trump administration over immigration detainers after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the administration.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed the lawsuit in September against Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the state of Minnesota, and several local governments.
The lawsuit was an attempt to force Minnesota state and local law enforcement agencies to hold an illegal immigrant based on an immigration detainer even if the person would otherwise be released from custody.
“The court’s clear ruling … reaffirmed the longstanding principle that the federal government cannot force Minnesota or any state to participate in its misguided immigration-enforcement efforts or commandeer state resources for it,” Ellison said. “State sovereignty and federalism are bedrock principles that lie at the very heart of our federal and state constitutions, and the court once again affirmed them today.”
The Trump administration said federal law preempted a 2025 legal opinion from Ellison saying Minnesota law prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from holding someone based on an immigration detainer if that person would otherwise be released from custody.
Judge Eric Tostrud of the U.S. District Court of the District of Minnesota was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2018.
Tostrud dismissed the administration’s lawsuit in a decision released on Monday.
As part of its argument, the Justice Department cited the Supremacy Clause, which establishes that federal law generally takes precedence over conflicting state laws. It says Minnesota’s actions conflicted with federal law, causing “ongoing, certainly impending injuries.”
Tostrud dismissed the challenge both for lack of jurisdiction and because the federal government cannot “commandeer” states and localities to enforce federal immigration law.
He added that it would be legally “inconsistent” to rule in favor of the federal government.
Tostrud also dismissed challenges to Minnesota’s restrictions on sharing driver’s license information and immigration-related ordinances and policies in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Hennepin County.
Ellison said this lawsuit was just another example of attempted federal overreach to enforce “failed immigration-enforcement policies.”
“The Trump administration, however, has no regard for this constitutional principle, so it nonetheless filed this lawsuit as part of its ongoing war against the people of Minnesota and its efforts to intimidate us into submission,” he said. “They keep learning over and over that the people of Minnesota won’t be intimidated. Nor will I.”
Federal courts have dismissed similar lawsuits in California, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York.
The Center Square was unsuccessful prior to publication getting comment from the Department of Justice.
Ellison is a Muslim scumbag, goat banger. This is what we have for our future, when you let these 12th century backward cults into our country, and let them do as they please. They breed like rabbits, because that gives them more power , as they suck off the taxpayers who will be their future slaves!
Islam is nothing but a subjugation cult, that is out to conquer the globe. With the help of the commie left, they are on the path to take over our country.
All you braindead idiots out there understand that their holy ( toilet paper) book allows them to lie, as long as it helps Islam.
All those nice verses are moot, they have been over ridden by the violent verses. Muhammad said the good verses in the beginning, when he was first pushing his cult. The bad ones came next ( which over ruled those), after he was cast out by the tribes, and then he rose up to form an army, and slaughtered all the tribes and he became the force of this pedophile following, backward, slime cult!
We are seeing mosques going up everywhere! They are trying to build a Muslim city in Texas. Hundreds of mosques in Texas now! They are in our local, city, state, and federal governments!!!
They breed like rabbits, on welfare, and that gives them the voting power that will destroy our country.
The Commie Dems will even elect a Muslim to the Supreme Court! Think about that!
Fn wake up! Call your Fn useless congressmen and women and get on their case! Passing laws that stop their cult laws are to late! When they get enough power they will pass laws to eradicate those laws!
The only way now is deportation of all Muslims! Yes it goes against our Constitution, but we won’t have one in the future if we don’t!! Our Constitution will be the Koran’
Do something now, or buy your Fn prayer rugs now!