At a Glance
- The 8th Circuit suspended a judge’s order that barred tear gas and force against peaceful protesters.
- Maine’s Secretary of State denied CBP’s request for new undercover license plates, citing past “abuses of power.”
- Over 10,000 arrests in Minnesota in the past year include 3,000 labeled “most dangerous offenders” during Operation Metro Surge.
- Why it matters: The moves expand federal immigration officers’ reach while local resistance intensifies.
A federal appeals court on Wednesday hit pause on a Minnesota judge’s injunction that had blocked immigration officers from using tear gas and other aggressive measures against peaceful demonstrators. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acted after government lawyers argued the restriction endangered officers during “very dangerous circumstances.”
Operation Metro Surge, launched in early December, has made Minnesota a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. More than 10,000 people alleged to be in the country illegally have been arrested statewide in the past year, according to U.S. Border Patrol official Greg Bovino. He said 3,000 of those arrests, all within the last six weeks, involved “some of the most dangerous offenders.”
Bovino defended his agents, insisting their actions are “legal, ethical and moral.” Julia Decker of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota countered that advocates have no independent way to verify the government’s arrest numbers or characterizations of those detained.
The legal tug-of-war escalated Tuesday when federal grand jury subpoenas landed on the desks of Minnesota state and local officials who oppose the sweeps. Prosecutors seek records that might show efforts to hinder enforcement. A political action committee created by former Vice President Kamala Harris urged donors to fund a defense fund for Governor Tim Walz, her 2024 running mate. “The Justice Department is going after Trump’s enemies list,” the committee’s email said.
Maine blocks undercover plates
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, rejected Customs and Border Protection’s request for additional confidential license plates. She cited “abuses of power” during the previous administration’s immigration actions. Renee Good was fatally shot by an immigration officer in Minneapolis on January 7, intensifying local concerns.
“We have not revoked existing plates but have paused issuance of new plates. We want to be assured that Maine plates will not be used for lawless purposes,” Bellows said. A CBP spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Portland Public Schools, Maine’s largest and most diverse district, briefly locked doors at two campuses Tuesday after rumors of ICE activity circulated. “This is an understandably tense time in our community,” the district said in a statement.
President Donald Trump acknowledged Tuesday that federal agents “make mistakes sometimes,” weeks after multiple violent confrontations, including Good’s death.
Conflicting accounts in assault case
In a separate Minnesota case, a federal magistrate signaled he is ready to release Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis on bond after hearing clashing testimony. An immigration officer claimed he was struck with a broom and snow shovels while trying to arrest Aljorna following a car crash and foot chase. Aljorna and Sosa-Celis deny assaulting the officer.
Video evidence and three eyewitnesses did not support the officer’s account of the broom, shovels, or a third person present. Attorneys for both men said their clients have no history of violence and had been working night shifts for DoorDash to avoid encounters with federal agents.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko warned the men could still be detained by ICE even if released in the assault case. Prosecutors are appealing the potential bond decision.
Key takeaways
- The 8th Circuit’s stay allows immigration officers to resume tactics a lower court had blocked.
- Maine becomes the latest state to resist federal immigration enforcement infrastructure.
- Minnesota continues to see high-profile arrests and legal showdowns as Operation Metro Surge presses on.
