Trump administration targets Minnesota in latest sanctuary policy lawsuit

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Minnesota, its two largest cities and a county over so-called sanctuary policies that the agency says interfere with the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration policies.

The lawsuit filed Monday targets the state, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis. The lawsuit alleges their policies result in the release of dangerous criminals who would otherwise be subject to deportation. And it asks a federal court to invalidate state and local laws and policies that it says impede immigration enforcement.

“Minnesota officials are jeopardizing the safety of their own citizens by allowing illegal aliens to circumvent the legal process,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

Minnesota is the latest jurisdiction targeted by President Donald Trump ‘s administration, which has also sued Colorado, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and several cities, including Boston,Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City and Rochester, New York, over their policies.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his state is not stopping the federal government from partnering with local law enforcement to prosecute dangerous individuals.

“This baseless lawsuit is just more political retaliation against Minnesota and we will respond in court,” Keith Ellison said in a statement.

The lawsuit cities a nonbinding advisory opinion Ellison issued in February that said neither state nor federal law authorizes state or local authorities to hold individuals for immigration detainers if they would otherwise be released from custody. The lawsuit says many counties cite that opinion as a reason not to turn over people who could be subject to deportation. The state also bars sharing driver’s license data for immigration enforcement, the lawsuit notes.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said his city “proudly welcomes immigrants, refugees, and families seeking opportunity” and won’t back down.

“Donald Trump has built his career on attacking immigrants and dividing Americans, and now he’s dragging our city into court with a fear-driven, politically motivated lawsuit,” Frey said in a statement.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was among three Democratic governors summoned by a U.S. House oversight committee back in June for a grilling over their states’ immigration policies. Walz rejected the assertion that Minnesota is a sanctuary state. It has no statewide law protecting immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally from deportation.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Hennepin County, however, restrict the extent to which their law officers and other employees can cooperate with immigration enforcement, the lawsuit noted. The Hennepin County jail, for example, won’t hold people solely for administrative immigration detainers and doesn’t notify immigration authorities when individuals subject to those detainers are released.

There’s no legal definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction, but the term generally refers to governments with policies limiting cooperation with immigration authorities. Courts previously have upheld the legality of such laws.

Minnesota was among 14 states and hundreds of cities and counties listed earlier this year by the Department of Homeland Security as “sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law.” The list later was removed from the department’s website after criticism that it errantly included some local governments that support Trump’s immigration policies.

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Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska.