Federal judge denies injunction to block immigration enforcement near Minnesota schools

A federal judge on Wednesday denied a request for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked immigration enforcement activity near public school grounds in Minnesota.

Fridley and Duluth public schools, alongside the state's largest teachers union Education Minnesota, sued the Department of Homeland Security in February, amid Operation Metro Surge. 

The suit challenges an executive order signed by President Trump in January 2025 that overturned a decadeslong policy discouraging immigration activity near "sensitive locations" such as schools and houses of worship. Immigration enforcement activity near schools and bus stops spread fear and caused attendance to plummet, the suit says.

Judge Laura Provinzino, a President Biden appointee, wrote that the districts and the union did not meet the requirement to show that they are entitled to the preliminary injunction. 

Though the request for the preliminary injunction was denied, the lawsuit will continue, and immigration agents will be permitted near school grounds while the case is adjudicated.

The 2025 guidance "did not change DHS's ability or authority to engage in enforcement activity at or near protected areas," she said. But what did change was the department's "willingness—not its authority—to conduct immigration enforcement activity at or near protected areas like schools."

She added that the declining attendance could not clearly be tied to federal agents' presence near school grounds and could be attributed to a general fear of immigration enforcement. 

Fridley Public Schools said that attendance in their 2,800-person district had fallen off by 33% during Operation Metro Surge. Twice in January, the district had to cancel classes because so many students were absent. Duluth schools also saw a decrease in attendance, particularly in its adult English language learning courses, the suit says.

When the lawsuit was filed, the DHS said agents are not going to schools to arrest children, but instead to protect them. 

"Criminals are no longer be able [sic] to hide in America's schools to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense," said Tricia McLaughlin, the former assistant secretary of DHS.

In response to the judge's order, the schools and union said in a joint statement that "this is not the end of our fight."

"We brought this case because every student deserves access to education in a safe and stable environment, and we will continue fighting to restore those protections and ensure that schools remain places of learning, not fear," they wrote.