Story perspectives

Judge Dismisses DOJ Suit Over Minnesota Sanctuary Policies

7/21/2026

Summary

Story summary

Judge Eric C. Tostrud dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Minnesota’s sanctuary policies on July 20, 2026.
He said the ordinances limiting driver-license data sharing do not violate intergovernmental immunity or the 10th Amendment.
Tostrud ruled that ICE detainer requests are not mandatory for Minneapolis, St. Paul and Hennepin County police.
He ordered the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse Mexican detainee Fernando for a return flight after finding civil contempt.

History

Historical Context

Trump’s 2017 Executive Order 13768 threatened to cut $5.7 billion from sanctuary jurisdictions, prompting lawsuits such as San Francisco v. Trump and a nationwide injunction by Judge William Orrick. Those battles forged Tenth-Amendment and intergovernmental-immunity arguments that Judge Eric C. Tostrud applied in July 2026, upholding Minnesota’s driver-license data limits and signaling continued judicial resistance to federal coercion of local immigration policy.

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Story summary

Judge Eric C. Tostrud dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Minnesota’s sanctuary policies on July 20, 2026.
He said the ordinances limiting driver-license data sharing do not violate intergovernmental immunity or the 10th Amendment.
Tostrud ruled that ICE detainer requests are not mandatory for Minneapolis, St. Paul and Hennepin County police.
He ordered the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse Mexican detainee Fernando for a return flight after finding civil contempt.

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