Minnesota sues feds for evidence in ICE shootings
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Minnesota is suing the federal government for evidence related to three shootings during “Operation Metro Surge.” Two of those shootings resulted in the deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti. The third shooting injured Minneapolis resident Julio Sosa-Celis.
The state claims in the lawsuit that federal officials have repeatedly declined to share evidence in these shootings and ignored their requests.
It said federal immigration officials physically blocked Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators from accessing the scene of the third shooting, when federal officials shot and killed Alex Pretti.
The state says it has the “authority and responsibility to protect against and address violence within its borders.”
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At a press conference announcing the lawsuit, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the legal action is aimed at forcing federal agencies to turn over evidence in the three cases.
“The lawsuit seeks to force the federal government to provide access to evidence in three cases, the killing of Renee Good, the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis and the killing of Alex Pretti,” Moriarty said.
Moriarty said the federal government has adopted a new and troubling approach. “The federal government has adopted a policy of categorically withholding evidence from us related to shootings involving federal agents during Operation Metro surge,” she said.
She added that the lawsuit is unprecedented. “The lawsuit today challenging the categorical withholding of all evidence from a state for criminal investigation is unprecedented in American history.”
The shootings happened during a large-scale federal immigration enforcement effort launched in late 2025. The operation, described by federal officials as the largest in the department’s history, deployed thousands of agents across Minnesota and led to multiple violent encounters.
Moriarty said cooperation between federal and state investigators initially appeared to follow standard practice, but quickly broke down. “Later that same day, the federal government abruptly decided to stop all collaboration in information sharing,” she said, referring to the shooting of Macklin Good.
She described similar patterns in the other cases, including the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. “The investigation began as a joint effort… however, the cooperation again abruptly ended,” Moriarty said.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called the situation “extraordinary” and emphasized the state’s responsibility to investigate potential crimes within its borders.
“We argue in this lawsuit that we share jurisdiction with the federal government,” Ellison said. “These incidents happen in Minnesota and fall under Minnesota state law.”
Ellison also described the fatal shooting of Renee Macklin Good, saying she was “peacefully exercising her constitutional right to observe a federal operation” when she was killed. He said federal agents removed key evidence before state investigators could examine it.
In the case of Julio Sosa-Celis, Ellison said federal agents initially claimed self-defense but later acknowledged inaccuracies. “The federal government has since acknowledged that those agents lied,” he said.
Regarding the shooting of Alex Pretti, Ellison said federal agents blocked state investigators even after a warrant was obtained. “Federal agents continued to block the BCA access to the site,” he said.
The lawsuit alleges that federal agencies not only refused to share evidence but also ignored formal requests made through established legal procedures.
Moriarty said the state will continue its own investigation regardless of federal cooperation. “We will not sit by and let that happen. We are prepared to fight for transparency and accountability,” she said.
Officials say they are seeking a court order requiring federal agencies to turn over evidence so the state can determine whether any criminal charges are warranted.
