Minnesota lawyers have filed over 1,000 lawsuits challenging immigrant detentions during Operation Metro Surge, with most being filed by volunteer lawyers with little to no experience in immigration law. The cases began as habeas corpus petitions, which are legal terms for challenging a person’s detention. Despite the Trump administration’s claim that immigration agents target the “worst of the worst,” less than 14% of the 400,000 immigrants arrested during Trump’s first year back in office have been charged or convicted of a violent crime.
Federal judges across the country have ruled that federal agents have detained immigrants illegally, with hundreds of cases since October. The number of habeas petitions has overwhelmed the federal courts, and judges are becoming increasingly impatient with the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy for undocumented people.
Volunteer lawyers, including family law attorneys and criminal defense attorneys, are mounting an unprecedented defense of immigrants against mass deportations. Many have reported winning their clients’ releases or receiving bond hearings, but attorneys say detainees would still be stuck in overcrowded facilities without representation.
The case has become a massive resistance across the Twin Cities, with lawyers, churches, and businesses serving as pop-up distribution centers for food and other necessities. Federal prosecutors have sought to explain ignored court orders by saying they are under extraordinary strain, but judges are rebuking them for diluting constitutional rights.
As the number of habeas petitions continues to rise, federal attorneys are redirecting their attention away from prosecuting serious crimes. The Trump administration’s policy is to treat all immigrants without legal status as if they were detained at the border, making them subject to warrantless arrest and mandatory detention pending immigration proceedings.
Source: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/19/lawyers-filed-over-1000-lawsuits-challenging-immigrant-detentions-during-operation-metro-surge