WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Minnesota are asking the United Nations to intervene in what they describe as an escalating human rights crisis in Minnesota, citing widespread racial profiling, unlawful arrests and the use of force by federal agents deployed under a Trump administration immigration enforcement surge.
The organizations submitted an urgent request Monday, Feb. 2, to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, calling for the initiation of the committee’s early warning and urgent action procedures to address what they describe as “a growing human rights crisis in Minnesota.”
According to the ACLU’s submission, the filing is a direct response to the Trump administration’s deployment of federal forces to Minneapolis and the broader St. Paul metropolitan area, a move the civil rights organizations oppose. The filing states that since the launch of “Operation Metro Surge” in December 2025, “upwards of three thousand masked and armed federal agents” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other Department of Homeland Security components have descended on the region “against the will of state and local leadership.”
The submission alleges that federal agents have engaged in “widespread practices of unlawful and unconstitutional stops and arrests,” targeting Somali and Latino individuals — and those perceived to be Somali or Latino — “without any relevant information about the individuals’ citizenship or immigration status.”
The ACLU states that these actions amount to racial, ethnic and national origin profiling in violation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, a treaty the United States ratified in 1994. The filing asserts that ICE’s conduct represents “flagrant violations of the freedoms and rights enshrined” in the treaty, obligations the U.S. government is bound to uphold at all levels.
By calling on the committee to issue a formal decision under its early warning and urgent action procedures, the ACLU and its Minnesota affiliate aim to draw international attention to conditions they argue risk escalating into serious human rights violations. The submission states that CERD action is warranted when there is a “pattern of escalating racial hatred and violence” or policies of impunity involving state actors.
Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU’s Human Rights Program, said in the organization’s announcement that “the Trump administration’s egregious crackdown in Minnesota is not only flouting the Constitution but also United States international human rights obligations that prohibit the use of racial and ethnic profiling, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful use of force against protesters and observers.”
In the submission, the ACLU cites reports that peaceful observers and protesters documenting enforcement activity have been met with intimidation, harassment and violence. In sworn statements tied to ongoing litigation, individuals describe federal agents aiming guns at them, deploying pepper spray at close range and following them to their homes in retaliation for protest activity.
The filing further alleges that the violence has escalated to lethal force, stating that federal agents shot and killed nonviolent protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January. The ACLU notes that while the Trump administration publicly labeled the victims “domestic terrorists,” the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions expressed concern and emphasized the need for an independent investigation.
Dakwar added that the organizations are “calling on the United Nations to hold the U.S. government accountable for its blatant violations of international law and to officially report on its disregard for their human rights treaty obligations.”
The ACLU described “unlawful stops and arrests carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents,” alleging in its submission that individuals were detained based solely on race, ethnicity and national origin. The filing notes that federal agents routinely lacked reasonable suspicion, arrest warrants or probable cause, and often failed to inquire about community ties or legal status.
The submission also documents more than 500 reports of constitutional violations received by the ACLU of Minnesota since December 2025, noting that the figure is likely a significant undercount because many individuals fear retaliation or are unaware of reporting mechanisms.
Teresa Nelson, legal director of the ACLU of Minnesota, said the enforcement operations are being carried out by “thousands of masked federal agents in military gear who are ignoring basic constitutional and human rights of Minnesotans.” She said that by “targeting our Somali and Latino communities,” the operations pose a “threat on Minnesotans’ most fundamental rights” and have “spread fear among immigrant communities and neighborhoods.”
The filing also raises concerns about federal agents disregarding court orders, citing a disclosure by Minnesota’s chief federal judge that ICE had violated nearly 100 court orders since Jan. 1 in connection with the crackdown.
In closing, the ACLU asked the U.N. committee to determine whether the United States is complying with its treaty obligations and to intervene in what the submission describes as “a direct, continued imminent threat” to the rights of racial, ethnic, refugee and migrant communities in Minnesota. The organizations requested that the committee issue an urgent action decision and send an independent delegation to Minnesota to observe and document the alleged violations.
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