The top federal prosecutor in Minnesota has warned that his office is struggling to handle a surge of immigration cases stemming from President Donald Trump’s mass deportation push.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, who was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate in October 2025, wrote in filings to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals that his team has been forced to shift its “already limited resources” in order to handle the lawsuits filed by immigrants arrested and detained by ICE over the past few weeks.
This complaint was backed by multiple Department of Justice attorneys, who said the “sheer number” of immigration cases in January alone is “imposing a crushing burden” on federal prosecutors. “This has, in turn, compelled U.S. Attorney’s Offices to shift resources away from other critical priorities, including criminal matters,” they wrote.
The Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota in December, sending thousands of masked ICE agents into the state to carry out its hardline immigration enforcement effort.
Condemnation of the aggressive tactics used by federal immigration agents reached a boiling point after two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed in Minneapolis within days of each other.
In his filings, Rosen stated that his office has been buckling under the pressure of handling a “wave” of immigration cases in Minnesota and that his team has been forced to ignore “other pressing and important priorities” to cope.
Rosen added that 427 immigration cases were filed in the state in January alone, and that the pace of such filings is expected to continue in February.
“The MN-USAO has cancelled all [civil enforcement] work and any other affirmative priorities and is operating in a reactive mode. Attorneys are appearing daily for hearings on contempt motions. The Court is setting deadlines within hours, including weekends and holidays,” Rosen wrote.
“Paralegals are continuously working overtime. Lawyers are continuously working overtime.”
Rosen also noted that the chaos within his office is occurring while its civil division is down 50 percent—a reference to a wave of resignations and departures shortly after Operation Metro Surge began, according to Politico.
The appeals court is being asked to quickly rule on an issue at the center of most of the immigration cases in Minnesota: whether ICE has the authority to detain immigrants indefinitely while they contest deportation proceedings.
Rosen warned that unless the issue is resolved, his office will “continue to be drained as hundreds more habeas petitions are filed, and other important responsibilities and priorities will be compromised.”
In response to the filings, a Justice Department spokesperson told the Daily Beast: “After four years of de facto amnesty under the previous administration, the Trump Administration is complying with court orders and fully enforcing federal immigration law.
“If rogue judges followed the law in adjudicating cases and respected the Government’s obligation to properly prepare cases, there wouldn’t be an ‘overwhelming’ habeas caseload or concern over DHS following orders. The level of illegal aliens currently detained is a direct result of this Administration’s strong border security policies to keep the American people safe.”
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