The Trump administration scored a legal victory in combating illegal immigration when a federal judge cleared the way for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to operate near schools, for now.
The lawsuit brought by Minnesota public school districts sought a temporary injunction against immigration enforcement agents having a presence near schools, claiming it increased absenteeism and disrupted learning.
U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino of the District of Minnesota denied the schools’ request for a preliminary injunction while the case moves forward and said the plaintiffs likely lacked standing. Provinzino is a Biden appointee.
“Accordingly, because the Court concludes that Plaintiffs have not shown they are likely to establish standing, the Court also must conclude that Plaintiffs are unlikely to prevail on the merits,” the judge wrote in a 38-page opinionopens in a new tab released Wednesday.
The plaintiffs include the Fridley and Duluth public school districts, as well as the Education Minnesota union. They are represented by Democracy Forward, a liberal litigation group chaired by veteran Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias.
In January 2025, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded restrictionsopens in a new tab on immigration enforcement actions in or near “sensitive locations,” such as schools and school bus stops. The guidance directed agents to use discretion in these situations.
The Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge increased the number of federal agents in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. According to plaintiffsopens in a new tab, the operation included immigration enforcement actions on or near school grounds; the school districts sued in February.
But the judge was skeptical that agents’ proximity to schools was the cause of decreased student attendance.
