Overview
- Minnesota, which filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for D.C., asks a judge to order the Justice and Homeland Security departments to turn over evidence from three January shootings tied to Operation Metro Surge.
- The complaint covers the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the wounding of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, alleging federal agents took exclusive control of key materials and blocked state investigators from the Pretti scene even after a warrant.
- Homeland Security says all three incidents remain under review and defends its process, as DOJ opened a civil-rights probe into Pretti’s death and a joint review found two ICE officers in the Sosa-Celis case gave untruthful statements and are on leave, while several outlets report videos and witnesses dispute initial federal accounts.
- State officials cite a Tenth Amendment violation and say formal “Touhy” evidence requests were ignored or denied, noting a judge earlier issued then dissolved a temporary order preserving materials such as Good’s car and agents’ firearms.
- The outcome could set rules for how much evidence states can compel from federal agencies and shape any decision on state charges, which legal experts say face hurdles because federal officers often invoke Supremacy Clause defenses.