Federal Judge Denies Request to Block Surge of Immigration Agents in Minnesota

A federal judge in Minnesota has denied a request by state officials to temporarily halt the deployment of 3,000 federal immigration agents under Operation Metro Surge. This operation has been associated with fatal shootings in Minneapolis, including those of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Judge Kate Menendez stated that the claim that the operation has "gone 'so far on the other side of the line'" is insufficient grounds for a preliminary injunction. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the decision, highlighting the fear and disruption caused by the federal operation. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the ruling as a significant legal victory for the Trump administration. Additionally, ProPublica identified the federal agents involved in Alex Pretti's shooting as Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez, though Customs and Border Protection has not released their names or details about the incident. In a related event, the police chief in St. Peter intervened to prevent federal agents from detaining a U.S. citizen who was monitoring their activities, marking the first such intervention in Minnesota since the surge began two months ago.