Judge Tosses DOJ Suit Challenging Minnesota Sanctuary Policies
A federal judge dismissed the DOJ lawsuit against Minnesota's sanctuary city policies.
Why it matters: The ruling emphasizes state and local autonomy under the Tenth Amendment, impacting national immigration enforcement debates and municipal policy control.
- DOJ sued Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and others on Sept 29, 2025, over sanctuary policies.
- The suit alleged Minnesota's policies led to release of criminals, violating federal law.
- On July 20, 2026, Chief Judge Eric Tostrud dismissed the lawsuit citing the Tenth Amendment.
- Judge Tostrud found Minnesota's policies do not discriminate against the federal government.
- This ruling aligns with recent federal court decisions protecting local government discretion on immigration enforcement.
On September 29, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit targeting Minnesota, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, Hennepin County, and state officials, over their sanctuary city policies that restrict local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The DOJ claimed that these policies violated federal law and allowed individuals convicted of serious crimes like aggravated assault and trafficking to be released, as noted in the Department of Justice announcement.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi asserted Minnesota officials were "jeopardizing the safety of their own citizens" by enabling illegal aliens to evade the legal process.
However, on July 20, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud dismissed the federal government's lawsuit. Judge Tostrud ruled that forcing state and local officials to enforce federal immigration laws violates the Tenth Amendment, which protects state sovereignty. His decision noted that Minnesota's sanctuary laws "do not discriminate against the United States in the sense the intergovernmental immunity doctrine requires," according to a news report.
This decision fits within a broader judicial trend where courts have rejected federal attempts to compel localities to enforce immigration laws, underscoring the balance of power between federal and state governments on immigration enforcement. The federal government has pursued similar lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions like Los Angeles and Rochester, but many have been dismissed on similar grounds.
By the numbers:
- September 29, 2025 — DOJ filed lawsuit challenging Minnesota sanctuary policies
- July 20, 2026 — Judge Eric Tostrud dismissed the lawsuit