Minnesota sues federal government over access to evidence in shootings

On March 25, 2026, Minnesota sues federal government in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, state and county officials allege federal agencies have blocked state access to evidence in three shootings tied to an immigration operation. The complaint was brought by Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans concerning the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the wounding of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during an effort identified as Operation Metro Surge.

The suit names the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, Attorney General Pam Bondi and former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and details repeated denials of state requests for evidence and witness access. According to the complaint, the FBI initially agreed to share material in the Good case then reversed course the same day; Good’s vehicle remains in an FBI storage facility in Brooklyn Center, Minn., and has reportedly not been processed. The filing also says federal cooperation broke down after the Sosa-Celis shooting on Jan. 14 and that charges against Sosa-Celis were later dismissed. In the Pretti case, state investigators say they were barred from the scene and from interviewing federal agents, and that federal authorities limited evidence sharing to a one-way flow.

The complaint accuses federal defendants of violating the Administrative Procedure Act, unlawfully withholding records and interfering with state authority under the 10th Amendment. DHS provided a statement that use-of-force incidents and ICE firearm discharges are reviewed internally and that ICE and CBP conduct independent reviews; the Justice Department did not immediately respond and the FBI declined comment. State officials are seeking court-ordered access to case materials to complete local investigations.