ACLU, ACLU of Minnesota Sue Federal Government to End ICE, CBP’s Practice of Suspicionless Stops, Warrantless Arrests, and Racial Profiling of Minnesotans

MINNEAPOLIS —The ACLU of Minnesota, American Civil Liberties Union, Covington & Burling LLP, Greene Espel PLLP, and Robins Kaplan LLP filed a class-action lawsuit today against the Trump administration on behalf of three community members — and a class of similarly situated people — whose constitutional rights were violated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other federal agents.

Over the past six weeks, the Trump administration has increased its deployment of federal forces - by the thousands. Masked federal agents in military gear have ignored basic human rights in their enforcement activity against Minnesotans, especially targeting Somali and Latino communities.

The Trump administration has been clear in its targeting of the Somali and Latino communities through Operation Metro Surge. President Trump called people from Somalia “garbage,” said “we don’t want them in our country,” and told them to “go back to where they came from.” Following Trump's comments, ICE and CBP agents have indiscriminately arrested — without warrants or probable cause — Minnesotans solely because the agents perceived them to be Somali or Latino.

In their lawsuit, the three Minnesotans challenge the administration’s policy of racially profiling, unlawfully seizing, and unlawfully arresting people without a warrant and without probable cause. This is a violation of Minnesotans’ constitutional rights to equal protection and against unreasonable seizures.

Plaintiff Mubashir Khalif Hussen is a 20-year-old U.S. citizen. On Dec. 10, 2025, he was walking to lunch in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood when he was stopped by multiple masked ICE agents. When Hussen realized he was being stopped by ICE, he began repeating, “I’m a citizen. I’m a citizen.” But the agents refused to look at Hussen’s ID.

ICE agents put Hussen into an SUV and drove him to the Whipple building in south Minneapolis. Only after being shackled, having his fingerprints taken, and showing a photo of his passport card to an individual at the Whipple building was Hussen let go.

“At no time did any officer ask me whether I was a citizen or if I had any immigration status,” said Hussen. “They did not ask for any identifying information, nor did they ask about my ties to the community, how long I had lived in the Twin Cities, my family in Minnesota, or anything else about my circumstances.”

“ICE and CBP’s practices are both illegal and morally reprehensible,” said Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, staff attorney with the ACLU of Minnesota. “Federal agents’ conduct — sweeping up Minnesotans through racial profiling and unlawful arrests — is a grave violation of Minnesotans’ most fundamental rights, and it has spread fear among immigrant communities and neighborhoods. No one, including federal agents, is above the law.”

“The people of Minnesota are courageously standing up to the reign of terror unleashed by the Trump administration,” said Robert Fram, senior counsel with Covington & Burling. “We are proud to stand with them and assist in any way that we can.”

“The massive presence of ICE agents as part of Operation Metro Surge has disrupted civic life in the Twin Cities. Minnesotans are at risk of being stopped by ICE while going to work or shopping for groceries,” said Greene Espel attorney Kshithij Shrinath. “We will continue to stand with our community and the rule of law.”

“The government can’t stop and arrest people based on the color of their skin, or arrest people with no probable cause,” said Kate Huddleston, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. “These kinds of police-state tactics are contrary to the basic principles of liberty and equality that remain a bedrock of our legal system and our country.”

If you have been questioned, stopped, arrested, or detained by ICE where the officers did not have a warrant or where the encounter appeared to be the result of racial profiling, visit aclu-mn.org/ice-feds-form.