Lawsuit comes nearly a week after ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Minneapolis woman during federal operation.

Greg Wehner Reports @ FOX NEWS

Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Trump administration Monday, seeking to block a massive federal immigration enforcement surge they say has flooded the Twin Cities with armed agents, sparked fear and unrest, and interfered with state and local authorities, according to court filings.

The lawsuit names Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, top officials with DHS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, along with the federal agencies themselves.

“We’re here to announce a lawsuit we’re filing against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to end the unlawful, unprecedented surge of the federal law enforcement agents into Minnesota,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said during a news conference Monday. “We allege that the obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law.”

Ellison said the deployment of thousands of armed and masked DHS agents to Minnesota has done “serious harm” to the state, calling for what he described as a “federal invasion” of the Twin Cities and Minnesota to stop.

The plaintiffs accuse federal immigration agents of carrying out militarized raids across the Twin Cities, including stops at schools and hospitals, engaging in racial profiling, warrantless arrests and excessive force, and overwhelming local law enforcement, while claiming the operation was politically motivated retaliation rather than legitimate immigration enforcement.

“DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area,” Ellison said. “Schools have gone [into] lockdown. Entire districts have had to cancel school for tens of thousands of students to ensure safety and offer online education.”

“Local businesses are struggling,” he added. “Revenues are down, and some retail stores, daycares and restaurants have actually closed because people are afraid to go out.”

The lawsuit comes nearly a week after an ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis.

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