CHICAGO and MINNEAPOLIS — In a day of unprecedented legal and civil escalation, the battle between the federal government and state leadership reached a boiling point on Monday, January 12, 2026. A coalition of states and a dozen members of Congress have filed a barrage of federal lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing the agency of “unlawful and dangerous” tactics. The legal firestorm comes as the DHS released a controversial new video in an attempt to justify the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an ICE agent last week—a move that has only intensified public outcry and civil unrest.
Let’s check the tape.
For more than 3 minutes the anti-ICE agitator impeded a law enforcement operation with her vehicle. https://t.co/o2Lb0SQIvS pic.twitter.com/CQ2nxP6UHE
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 11, 2026
The Legal Front: States Strike Back
The most significant legal challenge was launched by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, alongside the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Monday, seeks an immediate halt to “Operation Metro Surge”—a massive deployment of thousands of masked, armed federal agents into the Twin Cities.
The Minnesota coalition alleges that the surge violates the First and Tenth Amendments, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act. Attorney General Ellison characterized the operation as a “federal invasion” and a “pretext for political retribution.”
“People are being racially profiled, harassed, terrorized, and assaulted,” Ellison stated in the filing. “Schools have gone into lockdown. Businesses have been forced to close. This federal invasion has to stop.”
Simultaneously, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, supported by Governor JB Pritzker, filed a separate lawsuit against the DHS. The Illinois suit challenges the “unchecked” use of force by ICE and CBP agents, including the indiscriminate use of tear gas and arrests made without warrants or probable cause. Governor Pritzker accused the administration of “cruelty and intimidation,” asserting that federal agents are acting as “occupiers rather than officers of the law.”
Congressional Oversight Conflict
In Washington D.C., a group of 12 members of Congress returned to federal court to file an emergency motion in the case Neguse et al. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The lawmakers allege that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has secretly re-imposed an unlawful policy blocking unannounced congressional oversight of immigration detention facilities.
This move follows an incident last week where three members of the Minnesota congressional delegation were denied entry to an ICE facility in Minneapolis, despite possessing a previous court order affirming their right to access. The lawmakers argue the administration is attempting to “hide behind closed doors” to conceal conditions and potential abuses within the facilities.
The “Smoking Gun” Video
The DHS responded to the mounting pressure by releasing a three-minute and thirty-second video on social media, depicting the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, was killed by an ICE officer while driving her vehicle.
The DHS claims the footage shows Good “stalking and impeding” federal agents, labeling her actions as “vehicular attacks.” However, local officials and civil rights groups have contested this narrative. Skeptics note the video shows Good’s vehicle—a maroon Honda Pilot—partially blocking a street before several unmarked federal vehicles box her in. The release of the video, which includes the officer’s perspective of the gunfire, has triggered fresh protests and “noise demonstrations” in the Twin Cities, where local police have already reported over 3,000 hours of overtime due to the federal surge.
Federal Justification vs. Local Reality
While the DHS maintains that its operations are focused on the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens—citing the weekend arrests of individuals convicted of murder and sex abuse in Texas, North Carolina, and California—state leaders argue the reality on the ground is far different.
Data released by the Minneapolis Police Department indicates the federal operation has cost taxpayers over $2 million in local police overtime between January 8 and January 11 alone. Reports of racial profiling and the detention of U.S. citizens have become frequent, with one incident involving a citizen being handcuffed for hours simply because an agent claimed they “didn’t have the same accent.”
Ongoing Operations and Future Outlook
Despite the lawsuits, the DHS shows no signs of pulling back. Sources within the agency indicate that an additional 1,000 CBP agents are currently deploying to Minneapolis to join the 2,000 already on the ground. Secretary Noem has doubled down on the operations, citing a “1,300% increase in assaults against ICE officers” as justification for the heightened security and aggressive tactics.
As the legal system prepares to weigh in on the constitutionality of “Operation Metro Surge,” the divide between federal authority and state sovereignty has rarely been more stark. With both sides entrenched, the coming days in the federal courts will likely determine the future of domestic immigration enforcement in the United States.
Sources
- City of Saint Paul Official News: Lawsuit against ICE surge in Minnesota
- State of Illinois Governor’s Office: Illinois Sues DHS for Dangerous Enforcement Tactics
- U.S. House of Representatives (Rep. Norma Torres): Lawmakers Return to Court over Detention Facility Oversight
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Press Release on Weekend ICE Arrests and Officer Assault Statistics
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Buffalo Arrest Statement and Newsroom Updates
- American Immigration Council: Legal Analysis of Renee Good Shooting and Federal Immunity
- City of Minneapolis: Official Statement on Federal Lawsuit and MPD Overtime Costs
- Global News: Minnesota and Twin Cities File Lawsuit to Stop ICE Surge
- WAND TV: Illinois Files Lawsuit Against DHS Over Tactics
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