Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
Minnesota state and local officials sued the federal government Tuesday, alleging that authorities have blocked their efforts to investigate three shootings involving federal agents during an immigration crackdown earlier this year.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was brought by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Drew Evans. It names the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, Attorney General Pam Bondi and former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants.
The complaint alleges that federal agencies have refused to share key evidence needed to investigate the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as the wounding of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, all of which occurred during an immigration enforcement operation known as Operation Metro Surge.
Allegations of Blocked Access
According to the lawsuit, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was repeatedly denied access to evidence, witnesses and crime scenes in all three cases.
In the case of Good’s death, the Federal Bureau of Investigation initially agreed to cooperate with state investigators but reversed course the same day, barring BCA agents from interviews and evidence collection.
State officials say the probe was later halted, and federal prosecutors resigned after being pressured to abandon a civil rights investigation and instead pursue a case against Good’s spouse.
The lawsuit also alleges that Good’s vehicle remains in FBI custody, unexamined, despite repeated requests from state investigators to access or process it.
Pattern of Withholding Evidence
A similar pattern unfolded in the shooting of Sosa-Celis, who was wounded by a federal agent in January. While initial cooperation between federal and state investigators was planned, it was abruptly terminated, leaving key evidence in federal hands, according to the complaint.
In that case, federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis with assaulting a federal officer, but later dropped the charges after citing newly discovered evidence.
In the fatal shooting of Pretti, state investigators say they were initially denied access to the scene and barred from interviewing the agents involved. The lawsuit further alleges that federal authorities have not disclosed the identities of the agents who shot Pretti.
Breakdown in Cooperation
Although the Justice Department later said it would open a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, state officials claim federal authorities continued to restrict information sharing.
According to the lawsuit, federal officials indicated that evidence sharing would be one-sided — requiring state investigators to provide information while withholding federal evidence.
After repeated informal requests failed, Hennepin County prosecutors issued formal “Touhy” requests seeking documents and testimony from federal agencies. Those requests have largely gone unanswered, the lawsuit states.
Legal Claims
The complaint accuses federal agencies of violating the Administrative Procedure Act by acting in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner and unlawfully withholding information.
It also alleges violations of the Tenth Amendment, arguing that the federal government has improperly interfered with the state’s authority to investigate potential crimes within its jurisdiction.
What Comes Next
Spokespeople for the Justice Department and DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in tensions between state and federal authorities over accountability in law enforcement operations and could set up a broader legal battle over the limits of federal control in joint investigations.
