Minnesota Sues DOJ and DHS Over Evidence Access in Killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and Non‑Fatal Shooting of Julio Sosa‑Celis by Federal Immigration Officers
Minnesota state and county officials have sued the Justice Department and Homeland Security seeking access to evidence in three shootings by federal immigration agents — the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the January nonfatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis — after federal authorities took exclusive possession of investigative materials and denied state requests even where the BCA had begun joint probes or obtained a warrant. The complaint says DOJ and DHS are withholding evidence by asserting procedural and secrecy protections, while Minnesota officials, including AG Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, argue that withholding improperly shields officers from state criminal scrutiny; the dispute, tied to the Trump‑era Operation Metro Surge, is being watched nationally for the precedent it may set.
📌 Key Facts
- Minnesota state and county officials, including Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, have sued the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security seeking access to evidence from three federal‑agent shootings: the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti (both 37‑year‑old U.S. citizens, shot by ICE and CBP officers respectively) and the January non‑fatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis.
- The complaint alleges federal authorities took exclusive possession of collected evidence and have categorically withheld or tightly controlled key investigative materials — even after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) began a joint probe that the FBI later asserted exclusive control of, and despite a signed judicial warrant in the Pretti case.
- Federal officials (DOJ/DHS) argue they may lawfully withhold some materials to protect sensitive techniques and internal deliberations and have asserted federal control or questioned Minnesota’s jurisdiction; DHS’s public account describes Good as attempting to ram an ICE agent, Pretti as confronting agents, and Sosa‑Celis as attacking officers with a shovel.
- Minnesota officials counter that the withholding improperly shields federal officers from scrutiny of possible violations of state criminal law, calling the federal posture a de facto policy of categorical secrecy and saying the state is prepared to sue to obtain transparency and accountability.
- Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis was wounded in the thigh; his state criminal charges were later dismissed after video evidence raised questions about officers’ statements, and a federal criminal probe was opened into whether two ICE officers lied under oath.
- The dispute is tied to Operation Metro Surge — the Trump‑era immigration crackdown during which the incidents occurred — and the Pretti shooting and ensuing public and political backlash prompted the withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota and fed into broader national controversy over immigration enforcement and congressional disputes (including the Homeland Security funding fight).
- The case is being closely watched nationally as a potential precedent for how much evidence the federal government can withhold after agent‑involved shootings by officers assigned to federal task forces, with implications for state‑federal investigative authority and task‑force accountability.
- Minnesota’s complaint also accuses federal agents of broader tactics — including illegal stops, sweeps, arrests and raids in sensitive public spaces that created widespread fear — and notes that senior Trump administration figures publicly labeled Good a 'domestic terrorist' while the vice president asserted (and later partially walked back) that federal officers had 'absolute immunity.'
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 24, 2026
9:16 PM
Minnesota sues Trump admin to access evidence in federal shootings, including Alex Pretti, Renee Good cases
New information:
- Fox provides the federal agencies’ account of each incident: DHS says Renee Good was shot after she attempted to ram an ICE agent with her vehicle; Alex Pretti was fatally shot while ‘confronting’ agents; and Julio Sosa‑Celis was shot after allegedly attacking officers with a shovel.
- The article notes that charges against Venezuelan national Julio Sosa‑Celis were later dismissed after video evidence suggested officers may have made ‘untruthful statements,’ according to ICE Director Todd Lyons.
- The piece explicitly ties the end of Operation Metro Surge and the withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota in February to the political and public fallout after the Pretti shooting.
- The Fox report quotes directly from Minnesota’s complaint accusing federal agents of not only the three shootings but also ‘illegal stops, sweeps, arrests, and dangerous raids in sensitive public spaces’ that created ‘widespread fear’ among residents.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is quoted stressing that the state shares jurisdiction with the federal government because the shootings occurred in Minnesota under state law, and calling it ‘extraordinary’ that Minnesota had to sue to obtain evidence.
9:12 PM
Minnesota sues to obtain evidence in shootings by federal officers during ICE surge
New information:
- Confirms the suit has been filed, framed as Minnesota officials suing the Trump administration for access to evidence in three shootings, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
- Quotes Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty saying the federal government has adopted a 'policy of categorically withholding evidence' and that Minnesota is 'prepared to fight for transparency and accountability that the federal government is desperate to avoid.'
- Adds that the lawsuit explicitly argues the federal government may not 'withhold investigative evidence for the purpose of shielding law enforcement officers from scrutiny' when a state is investigating possible violations of its criminal laws against its own citizens.
- Details that in addition to Good and Pretti, the suit covers the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis, who was wounded in the thigh and whose criminal case was later dropped while a federal criminal probe into whether two ICE officers lied under oath was opened.
- Reiterates that the Trump administration has suggested Minnesota lacks jurisdiction to investigate these shootings, while Minnesota officials stress they do not trust the federal government to investigate itself.
- Links the dispute to broader fallout from Operation Metro Surge, noting it is part of the backdrop to the ongoing Homeland Security shutdown as Democrats seek restraints on Trump’s immigration agenda.
8:56 PM
Minnesota officials sue Trump administration over Renee Good, Alex Pretti investigations
New information:
- CBS Minnesota segment confirms that the same state and county officials have now formally filed suit against the Trump administration over the investigations into the shootings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis by federal agents.
- The video piece explicitly ties Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis’s case into the same evidence‑access dispute, confirming that all three shootings are part of the litigation push.
- It reiterates that Minnesota officials are framing the suit as necessary to obtain investigative materials that federal agencies have withheld or tightly controlled.
6:34 PM
Minnesota sues federal authorities over Good, Pretti investigations
New information:
- Identifies the two victims by name — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — and notes both were 37-year-old U.S. citizens killed by ICE and CBP officers, respectively.
- Details that the Minnesota BCA initially began a joint investigation with the FBI into Good’s killing before the FBI reversed course and asserted exclusive federal control.
- Reveals that for the Pretti case, the BCA obtained a signed judicial warrant to access evidence but DHS still denied access, insisting DHS would lead the investigation alone.
- Quotes the complaint’s allegation that 'federal authorities took exclusive possession of evidence that had been collected, and they denied Minnesota investigators access to key information.'
- Notes that senior Trump administration officials publicly labeled Good a 'domestic terrorist' and that Vice President JD Vance claimed federal officers were 'protected by absolute immunity,' a statement he later partially walked back.
5:41 PM
Minnesota Prosecutors Sue to Access Evidence in Shootings by Agents During Immigration Crackdown
New information:
- The New York Times piece adds national‑level framing that this clash in Minnesota is being closely watched by other states that participate in federal task forces, highlighting the potential precedent for how much evidence the federal government can withhold after agent‑involved shootings.
- It further details federal officials’ legal arguments that disclosing certain materials could compromise sensitive techniques and internal deliberations, sharpening the picture of how DOJ and DHS are justifying their refusal to turn over evidence.
- The article underscores that the case centers on Operation Metro Surge, an immigration crackdown, and situates the shootings in the broader controversy over Trump‑era immigration enforcement tactics, which has amplified public scrutiny and online criticism of task‑force accountability.