Press Release  AG Campbell Challenges Militarized And Illegal Deployments Of Federal Immigration Officers In Minnesota

Boston — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of Minnesota’s lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s illegal and inhumane enforcement tactics during its deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol to the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. 

Over the course of just a few weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent more than 3,000 federal agents to the region. These agents have fatally shot one resident, Renee Good, seriously wounded others, attacked peaceful protestors, and systematically conducted unconstitutional stops and arrests. This has created a chaotic and dangerous situation that has made it difficult for state and local government to fulfill its obligations to ensure public safety and provide public education and other basic services. In the brief, the coalition urges the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to order an immediate halt to the federal government’s lawless actions that irreparably harm Minnesota residents and threaten state sovereignty. 

“The Trump Administration’s reckless enforcement of cruel immigration policies is irresponsible, jeopardizes the safety of our communities, and undermines state and local governments’ ability to deliver basic services and protections to their residents,” said AG Campbell. “I am proud to stand with my colleagues in demanding accountability for the cruel and unlawful actions of ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minnesota that have sown fear in communities and disrupted critical aspects of everyday life.” 

Beginning in December 2025, DHS began to threaten an escalation in immigration enforcement targeting Minnesota and the Twin Cities area. Since then, more than 3,000 federal immigration officers have been sent to Minnesota. Of that number, 2,000 are ICE personnel, hundreds are Border Patrol agents, and others are from Justice Department agencies. President Trump has also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, and it is reported that the Pentagon could be preparing to deploy 1,500 troops to Minnesota. These actions have caused widespread fear and endangered public safety, with local law enforcement agencies being forced to divert large portions of their resources and personnel to respond to unrest caused by the federal officers.  

Since Minnesota filed its lawsuit against DHS, the violence by ICE agents has escalated. Just one week after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a federal law enforcement officer in Minneapolis shot an individual in the leg and, in a separate incident, exploded a tear gas canister underneath a family’s car, trapping them inside their vehicle and rendering a six-month old unconscious. This extreme conduct is impeding everyday life for Minnesotans, many of whom are afraid to leave their homes. Pregnant women are afraid to go to their prenatal appointments for fear that they or their loved ones will be detained by federal agents. Businesses are reporting 50% to 80% in revenue losses due to the presence of immigration officers in communities. More than 100 schools were temporarily shut down in the Minneapolis Public School system, affecting 30,000 children, and school attendance continues to drop with families afraid to send their kids to school.  

In their brief, AG Campbell and the coalition argue that a temporary restraining order is needed to protect the public from these overly aggressive and unlawful immigration enforcement practices. They argue that these tactics threaten sovereign powers reserved for states by the Constitution, like policing and promoting the public safety, health, and welfare of their residents.

In filing the brief, AG Campbell joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. 

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