A federal judge on Saturday denied a request to block the Trump administration's deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a ruling, District Court Judge Katherine Menendez acknowledged the immigration enforcement operation's potential to create profound consequences on Minnesota's community but concluded that state officials failed to demonstrate the deployment was unlawful.

The ruling arrives amidst widespread demonstrations across the nation, protesting the recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both US citizens, by federal agents. Protesters had gathered in cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., calling for a public shutdown against ICE and urging Americans to refrain from work and school.

Menendez's ruling indicated concerns regarding ICE's past actions, citing instances of racial profiling and excessive force, but the court found no clear metrics to classify actions as unlawful. As public pressure mounts and protests continue, local officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are advocating for the withdrawal of federal agents, while protests have escalated with demonstrators staging powerful visual displays such as spelling 'SOS' on a frozen lake. The initiative known as Operation Metro Surge aims to remove 'criminal illegal aliens', but critics argue innocent individuals are caught in the dragnet.