MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, USA (AP) — A judge on Wednesday gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend an immigration crackdown in Minnesota, as the Pentagon sought to bring in military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic federal enforcement effort in the state.
Gas clouds of tear gas, the use of chemical irritants, and the sound of protest whistles have become common in the streets of Minneapolis, especially since an immigration agent shot and killed Renee Good on January 7 as she drove away in her car.
Agents have forcibly pulled people from their vehicles and confronted bystanders who demanded that they leave the city.
“What we need most right now is a pause. We need to cool things down,” said the assistant district attorney Brian Carter during the opening hearing in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Local leaders contend that by intensifying its immigration crackdown, the federal government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights. Federal Judge Katherine Menendez pledged to keep the case at the forefront and gave the Department of Justice until Monday to file a response to the request for a restraining order.
She added that these are “grave and important matters,” and that there are few legal precedents to apply to some of the case’s key issues.
The Justice Department attorney, Andrew Warden, hinted that the approach set by Menendez was appropriate.
The judge also presides over another lawsuit challenging the tactics used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents when they confront protesters and observers. A ruling in that case could be announced this week.
The Department of Homeland Security says it has arrested more than 2,000 people in the state since early December and vows not to back down. The Pentagon is preparing to deploy military lawyers to Minneapolis to assist.
CNN, citing an email circulating within the military community, reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the services to identify 40 lawyers — known as Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) officers — of whom 25 will serve as special assistants to the federal prosecutor in Minneapolis.
The Pentagon spokesman, Kingsley Wilson, appeared to confirm CNN’s report by posting it on X and adding that the Army “is proud to support” the Department of Justice.
The Pentagon has not yet responded to AP inquiries seeking further details.
This marks the latest step by the Trump administration in sending military and civilian lawyers to areas where federal immigration operations are underway. The Pentagon sent 20 lawyers to Memphis last week, according to federal prosecutor D. Michael Dunavant.
Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law and a former Navy JAG, said there is concern that these assignments pull lawyers away from the military justice system.
“There aren’t many JAGs, but there are more than a million Army personnel, and they all need legal support,” Nevitt said.
Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot Good, suffered internal torso bleeding during the encounter, a Department of Homeland Security official told The Associated Press.
The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss Ross’s medical condition. The official did not elaborate on the severity of the injuries, and the agency did not respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, how exactly he was injured, when it was diagnosed, or what medical treatment he has received.
Internal bleeding can occur for a variety of reasons, and its severity can range from bruising to significant blood loss. A video of the scene shows Ross and other agents walking away from the incident without obvious difficulty after Good was shot and her vehicle collided with other cars.
Good was shot after three ICE agents surrounded the pickup she was driving on a snowy street a few blocks from her home.
A video recorded by a bystander shows an agent approaching the stopped pickup, ordering Good to open the door, and grabbing the handle. As the vehicle begins to move, Ross, standing in front of the truck, raises his weapon and fires at least three shots at close range. He steps back as the vehicle advances.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said that Ross was struck by the vehicle and that Good was using her vehicle as a weapon — a self-defense description that has drawn strong opposition from state officials.
Chris Madel, Ross’s attorney, declined to comment on any injuries.
Meanwhile, Good’s family has hired the Romanucci & Blandin law firm, which represented George Floyd’s family in a $27 million settlement with the city of Minneapolis. Floyd, who was Black, died after a police officer knelt on his neck in May 2020.
The firm noted that Good was complying with orders to move her vehicle when she was shot. It added that it would conduct its own investigation and publicly share its findings.
“They do not want her to be used as a political pawn,” the firm said on behalf of Good and her family, “but rather as a peace advocate for everyone.”
