ACLU sues DHS over Minnesota ICE operations

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on behalf of Minnesotans who claim federal agents are violating their constitutional rights during ongoing immigration enforcement operations. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Minnesota, alleges a pattern of abuse where masked federal agents are stopping and arresting Somali and Latino individuals based on their race and ethnicity, without reasonable suspicion or warrants. The ACLU seeks to halt these practices, arguing they violate the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

DHS vehemently denies the allegations, stating that immigration enforcement targets individuals illegally present in the U.S., not based on race or ethnicity, and that agents operate within the bounds of the Fourth Amendment using “reasonable suspicion.” DHS further characterized the ACLU’s claims as “disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE” and accused the ACLU of defending “criminal illegal aliens.”

The lawsuit comes amid civil unrest and protests against federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. President Trump had earlier threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act after an ICE agent was attacked, citing the need to quell “professional agitators and insurrectionists.” The ACLU’s complaint seeks a court order preventing federal agents from making stops based on immigration status without reasonable suspicion, lacking warrants or probable cause, or making warrantless arrests without establishing a flight risk.

(Source：Santa Clarita Valley Signal)