King County has joined a lawsuit challenging a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, arguing that the deployment of masked and armed federal agents into the Minneapolis metro area is unconstitutional and unlawful, according to a statement released Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay.

The county signed onto an amicus brief in the case Minnesota v. Noem, which challenges what federal officials have called “Operation Metro Surge,” a recent immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota.

Zahilay said the county joined the filing after concerns that the operation is creating fear and instability in immigrant communities.

“King County stands with the people of Minnesota in pushing back against the dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional deployment of federal immigration enforcement agents into their state,” Zahilay said. “The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti over the weekend makes it abundantly clear that the presence of militarized, unidentifiable agents is not making our communities safer and is instead creating chaos and distrust that undermines true public safety.”

Zahilay said residents across King County have reported that fear of immigration raids is disrupting daily life, including preventing people from going to school or work.

“As I listen to residents across the county, I have heard firsthand how the fear of immigration raids is upending daily life,” he said. “We will not stand idly by as President Trump terrorizes American cities with untrained, armed agents to carry out his inhumane mass deportation agenda and retaliate against his political enemies.”

The executive said joining the amicus brief is intended to protect constitutional rights and prevent similar actions from occurring locally.

“Signing onto this amicus brief is one of our tangible actions aimed at protecting the constitutional rights of our residents, upholding our values, and ensuring that this abuse of power does not spread across the nation or occur here in King County,” Zahilay said.

“Operation Metro Surge is by far the most extensive, aggressive, reckless, and chaotic deployment yet. In effect, it has led to a military occupation of the Twin Cities,” the lawsuit says.

According to the county, other jurisdictions that joined the brief include the State of Washington and the City of Seattle.