JAKARTA - A United States (US) judge has rejected a request by Minnesota state and local officials to halt a surge in federal immigration enforcement operations.
The entry of nearly 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers into Minnesota in the past month is part of an operation that the Trump administration has called Operation Metro Surge.
The operation aims to carry out the president's order to tighten action against illegal immigration by arresting people who are illegally living in Minnesota and putting them in custody to undergo the deportation process.
However, the operation has led to the deaths of a number of US citizens, including the murder case that drew public attention to Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis involving ICE and CBP agents. The incident sparked massive protests in Minnesota and other parts of the US.
Judge Katherine Menendez acknowledged a number of acts of injustice committed by federal agents, although she still rejected the request to stop the immigration enforcement operation.
"Evidence shows ICE and CBP agents have engaged in racial profiling, excessive use of force, and other harmful practices," Menendez wrote in his ruling, as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, February 2.
On the other hand, Menendez assessed that the suspension of operations would harm the federal government's efforts to enforce immigration laws.
"In the end, the court found that the balance of potential harm did not unequivocally support granting the injunction," Menendez said.
He added that the federal operation has, and will likely continue to, have a major and even heartbreaking impact on the State of Minnesota, the Twin Cities region, and the Minnesota community.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey expressed disappointment with the ruling and vowed to appeal. He accused the federal operation of creating fear and disruption, instead of improving public safety.
"This ruling does not change what residents here have experienced, namely fear, disruption, and the negative impact of a federal operation that should never have taken place in Minneapolis in the first place," Frey said in a written statement, as quoted by the NewsNation network.
He emphasized that the city government would continue to pursue legal action to hold the Trump administration accountable.
Meanwhile, Attorney General ASPam Bondi praised the decision through the X social media platform.
"Another BIG legal victory for the Justice Department in Minnesota today. A Biden-appointed district judge rejects Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's attempt to block ICE from operating in Minnesota," Bondi wrote.
The immigration protection policy and legal challenges that he considers unfounded will not stop the Trump administration from enforcing federal law in Minnesota.
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