King County has joined a lawsuit challenging a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, arguing that the deployment of masked and armed federal agents into the Minneapolis metro area is unconstitutional and unlawful, according to a statement released Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay.
The county signed onto an amicus brief in the case Minnesota v. Noem, which challenges what federal officials have called “Operation Metro Surge,” a recent immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota.
Zahilay said the county joined the filing after concerns that the operation is creating fear and instability in immigrant communities.
“King County stands with the people of Minnesota in pushing back against the dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional deployment of federal immigration enforcement agents into their state,” Zahilay said. “The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti over the weekend makes it abundantly clear that the presence of militarized, unidentifiable agents is not making our communities safer and is instead creating chaos and distrust that undermines true public safety.”
Zahilay said residents across King County have reported that fear of immigration raids is disrupting daily life, including preventing people from going to school or work.
“As I listen to residents across the county, I have heard firsthand how the fear of immigration raids is upending daily life,” he said. “We will not stand idly by as President Trump terrorizes American cities with untrained, armed agents to carry out his inhumane mass deportation agenda and retaliate against his political enemies.”
The executive said joining the amicus brief is intended to protect constitutional rights and prevent similar actions from occurring locally.
“Signing onto this amicus brief is one of our tangible actions aimed at protecting the constitutional rights of our residents, upholding our values, and ensuring that this abuse of power does not spread across the nation or occur here in King County,” Zahilay said.
“Operation Metro Surge is by far the most extensive, aggressive, reckless, and chaotic deployment yet. In effect, it has led to a military occupation of the Twin Cities,” the lawsuit says.
According to the county, other jurisdictions that joined the brief include the State of Washington and the City of Seattle.
Washington is next to experience a past due reckoning of misuse of taxpayers dollars. If we are innocent of fraud why would we be afraid of handing over and coordinating the removal of criminals, or proving our voter rolls are clean from non American voters.
Because it is being done illegally. Arresting people who are trying to become citizens according to the law are not illegal. Arresting people in their houses without a judicial warrant is not legal. Shooting people because they are blowing whistles is not legal.
As a Republican in this Blue Sanctuary state I officially reject this action in joining this lawsuit.
Immigrants living here illegally is financially burdening our schools, hospitals, welfare systems. They need to be sent back to their countries for the sake of our own citizens.
ICE is kidnapping and killing citizens, deporting noncitizens without due process, and targeting far beyond only the criminals that endanger Americans. They are ignoring constitutional rights that everyone on American soil is supposed to be protected by. If we abolish ICE we suddenly get $75Bn back into America’s budget. You’ve been misled. ICE is the true burden, and ICE agents are the true criminals.
Obviously you don’t realize if we abolish ICE the US would not vet anyone who would then freely walk across our unstaffed borders, arrive by air or sea and then pursue any agenda, and there would be no inspection of any materials, products, drugs or food for disease, pests, poisons or even a bomb. You’ve let emotions get in the way of common sense and reality of how borders work and also don’t recognize the full scope of ICE responsibility while you rant.
Border Patrol and ICE are different agencies. And regardless of anyone’s beliefs on what ICE’s intent is, that is not what they are doing now. They have killed Americans. They have targeted and deported people trying to immigrate “the right way.” And they have been told that, regardless of the laws or constitution, they have absolute immunity. NO government organization should have absolute immunity, and especially not when they can take you off the street just because of the way you look, which is exactly what they are doing. That is literally fascism — not as a buzzword, but as a direct and concrete example — and if you support fascism, as far as I’m concerned you’re less American than any “illegal” immigrant.
I’m 100% polar opposite to all of Tom’s words but abolishing ICE…….. SMH.. you should just stick to voting..
ICE is the federal US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency responsible for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigations and removal operations against people the US decides are in the country illegally.
In line with constitutional law, ICE agents can detain, search and arrest people they suspect of being in the US illegally, without needing a judicial warrant.They can also detain and search people who are crossing the border.They can use “reasonable and necessary force” when someone who they suspect of being in the country illegally resists arrest.ICE agents, like all law enforcement officers, can use lethal force in certain circumstances.
These are people who might have gone through immigration court and been ordered to leave by a judge. It could also be someone who has repeatedly entered the country illegally or overstayed a visa, or a person arrested and convicted of certain crimes.
Removal of Aliens Who Have Entered the United States
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt5-6-2-3/ALDE_00013726/
We moved here from Minnesota almost 4 years ago. My friends have been updating me. It is awful there and even worse than you see on the news. People- of every race-are fearful to leave their homes and I don’t mean because of the cold. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Minnesotans are being rounded up routinely by thugs. It sounds like what my relatives told me about Hungary under communism. They said I was so lucky to be American-a beacon of hope for the world. How is that going lately?
“Minnesotans are being rounded up routinely by thugs”
By definition, you are not a “ Minnesotan” if you are not American.
I’m all for immigration. Legally.
Then you should be AGAINST arresting people in their homes without a judicial warrant. And you should be against arresting people because they are “brown or black” without any warrant at all. Both of those are illegal.
I’m so proud of King County, the place where I grew up, is now supporting the great state of Minnesota where I now live. The amount of fear that exist in my state is felt by almost everyone. Restaurants are closing people are afraid to go to their medical appointments, income is being lost. Two. brave people who were peacefully protesting have been killed. Yet we organize with whistles and phone numbers to to assure we have enough constitutional observers, watching ice to watch and see if the law is followed and to know who they are really after. Thank you, King County. We need your support.
The point is that there must be a better way of finding people rather than knocking down doors, chasing them and endangering others. Murder should not be a choice. Those 2 people who were killed were trying to help others. That is why it is called Minnesota nice. The killers should be arrested and put in jail. We were Republicans in the past, but now thuggery and complacency has taken over the party. Shame on all who condone this violence.
More tax dollars out the window
The other day we were on the way to get gas and shop, all of a sudden at a high rate of speed a KC Sheriff came around the corner (towards our direction) with lights flashing, we were a good 1/4 block away from them, did we keep driving towards them, no, did we feel the need to see why or they were doing, no, we stayed out of their way. So tell me why would anyone feel the need to get “in the way” of any LEO’s business?
I’m terribly sorry for the loss of these lives in the ICE enforcement but if you have no business there as these 2 say then stay away.
So you believe that anyone who watches the police are “in the way of police enforcement”? If I were to follow them to where they were going, I would be “in the way of police enforcement”? Or, just maybe, you are using this statement to justify illegal behavior.
And if you are “terribly sorry for the loss of these lives”, then why do you justify ICE shooting them for video taping their behavior? Remember, ICE walked across the street to Alex Pretti. Not the other way around.
It is called stay out of harms way, life is too precious to be taken sooner than it already does.
I’m all for helping people in need and believing what is right and wrong but we all know how “this” enforcement works, so again stay out of harms way.
A little quote from the US Constitution for you: “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
Tom, a little quote that’s too long to type..
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt5-6-2-3/ALDE_00013726/
Interesting. 70% of Democrats approve of removal of illegals and 65% approve of the methods. (CNN yesterday). Republican support would be higher. During President Obama’s reign, there weren’t anyone complaining about his massive illegal removal. All police , federal and local are very highly trained and exceptional men and women, whom I have had the privilege of knowing and working with over the years. Wouldn’t that be true in Minnesota too? Exceptional times we live in.
Interesting. I can’t find ANY POLL done by CNN yesterday (or this week) of Democrats approval or disapproval of removal of illegal immigrants. And I note that you provided NO LINK to prove this claim.