Local News
Boston is supporting a lawsuit filed by Minnesota officials that would end the Trump administration’s violent crackdown there.
Boston joined more than 40 other local governments from across the country in filing an amicus brief Thursday in support of a lawsuit that would end the ongoing federal crackdown in Minnesota.
The brief was filed in federal district court in Minneapolis. It argues that the Trump administration has been deploying “militarized federal immigration officers” that have caused “mounting fear, tensions, and violence” in cities across the country, including Boston.
While federal agents from ICE and other agencies have deployed in many areas, the ongoing situation in Minnesota has made numerous national headlines for tense clashes between agents and residents. In the wake of Renee Good’s killing, the Trump administration has continued to deploy heavily armed, masked officers to carry out immigration enforcement operations.
“Operation Metro Surge is by far the most extensive, aggressive, reckless, and chaotic deployment yet. In effect, it has led to a military occupation of the Twin Cities,” the brief reads.
Boston’s involvement in the lawsuit comes as ICE ramps up operations in New England. The administration began targeting cities in Maine this week. Residents there are mobilizing to support immigrant families, and officials are already raising concerns about the possibility of indiscriminate arrests.
Boston, and Mayor Michelle Wu in particular, were the focus of ire from officials within the Trump administration for much of last year. Wu made a national splash when she defended Boston’s immigration enforcement policies in front of Congress, and has remained outspoken on the issue.
“The Trump Administration’s ongoing occupations of peaceful American cities are unconstitutional and illegal,” Wu said in a statement Friday. “These politically motivated invasions of cities, whether by ICE agents or the National Guard, endanger our residents and violate federal law. We are urging the courts to curb the dangerous impulses of a reckless federal administration.”
The Trump administration is suing Boston over policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement officers. While federal officials say that such policies hinder their ability to detain and deport dangerous criminals, Wu and local police leaders maintain that the policies make the city safer by building trust between residents and police.
Wu often refers to Boston as the “safest major city in the country.” The reality is likely more complicated, but the mayor did oversee a historic drop in homicides in 2024. This figure ticked up in 2025, but the number of homicides last year still represented a 16% decrease from Boston’s five-year average.
The brief cites these statistics and argues that the Trump administration has “eroded the trust between residents and Boston police” by arresting people at courthouses in the city.
Cambridge, Chelsea, Lynn, Newton, Northampton, Melrose, Somerville, and Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo joined Boston in filing the amicus brief.
The lawsuit itself alleges, among other things, that the Trump administration is violating the First and Tenth Amendments through its surge in Minnesota. Federal agents are engaging in racial profiling, using excessive force, engaging in the warrantless arrest of people without assessing their immigration status, forcing schools to close, and more, Minnesota officials argue.
Residents engaged in a citywide strike Friday to protest the tactics.
The amicus brief can be read below:
Amicus Brief MN v Noem 66-1 by Ross Cristantiello
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