U.S. entities file lawsuit against federal agents' crackdown in Minnesota

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Minnesota and three other law firms filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court on Thursday, seeking to halt what they described as federal agents' "illegal practices" in the state of Minnesota.

The lawsuit against the Trump administration was filed on behalf of three community members and a class of similarly situated individuals, according to a press release from the ACLU of Minnesota, which said their constitutional rights had been violated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other federal agents.

"In their lawsuit, the three Minnesotans challenge the administration's policy of racially profiling, unlawfully seizing, and unlawfully arresting people without a warrant and without probable cause. This is a violation of Minnesotans' constitutional rights to equal protection and against unreasonable seizures," the press release said.

The lawsuit seeks to prevent federal agents from stopping and questioning local residents based on their ethnicity and from wrongfully arresting people in Minnesota.

"ICE and CBP's practices are both illegal and morally reprehensible," said Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, staff attorney with the ACLU of Minnesota. "Federal agents' conduct -- sweeping up Minnesotans through racial profiling and unlawful arrests -- is a grave violation of Minnesotans' most fundamental rights, and it has spread fear among immigrant communities and neighborhoods."

The press release cited the experience of plaintiff Mubashir Khalif Hussen, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen who was arrested by ICE on Dec. 10 while walking to lunch. The agents refused to examine Hussen's identification even though he repeatedly stated he is a U.S. citizen.

The ACLU said that during the past six weeks, the Trump administration has increased its deployment of federal forces targeting immigrants, particularly Somali and Latino communities in Minnesota.

The Metro Surge operation has disrupted civic life in the state, and local residents are at risk of being stopped by ICE while going to work or shopping for groceries, said Greene Espel attorney Kshithij Shrinath.

"The government can't stop and arrest people based on the color of their skin, or arrest people with no probable cause," said Kate Huddleston, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, noting "these kinds of police-state tactics are contrary to the basic principles of liberty and equality."