ICE in Minneapolis Tests Federalism’s Limits

Garrett Epps argues that Trump’s Minneapolis ICE crackdown runs into established anti-commandeering doctrine and the Constitution: federal officials cannot coerce states or localities to enforce federal immigration policy, and funding threats cannot legally force compliance. Courts have largely blocked such coercion, framing it as an overreach of federal power, while the administration pursues aggressive enforcement and protests around ICE actions. The dispute foregrounds a broader federalism debate over immigration policy and civil liberties, with the Supreme Court likely to weigh in eventually.