Minnesota and Illinois have filed lawsuits in a bid to push back against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents from carrying out US President Donald Trump administration’s extensive anti-immigration policies.
In a largely tense atmosphere in the US with pressure mounting over recent ICE shootings, these states have been major sites for ICE’s expansion. They have now resorted to citing the ’10th Amendment’ of the American Constitution to block the agency’s operations.
What is the 10th Amendment?
The 10th Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, which outlines the balance of power between the federal government and the states. It states that powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or the people.
Michele Goodwin, a constitutional law professor at Georgetown University, said the 10th Amendment was designed to protect states from federal overreach and preserve their ability to govern local matters such as policing and public safety.
What do Illinois and Minnesota’s lawsuits claim?
Both Illinois and Minnesota have argued that the administration’s immigration crackdown violates their sovereignty by disrupting the lives of residents, the health of businesses, and the power of the state governments, Axios reported.
The Department of Homeland Security has arrested more than 2,400 people in Minnesota since November 29. About 3,000 federal agents have been sent to the state.
In Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker has accused the Trump administration of “unlawful tactics” and “flagrant abuses of power,” CNN reported.
Illinois’ lawsuit argues that federal immigration operations have disrupted communities, undermined public safety and interfered with the state’s ability to govern effectively.
The lawsuit also claimed that “military-trained personnel, carrying semi-automatic firearms and military-grade weaponry, have rampaged for months through Chicago and surrounding areas, lawlessly stopping, interrogating, and arresting residents, and attacking them with chemical weapons.”
What has the US government said?
Trump and his administration have said the Constitution gives the federal government broad authority to enforce immigration laws nationwide.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump defended ICE tactics and warned Minnesota residents that “the day of reckoning and retribution is coming.”