{"id":1400728,"date":"2026-01-29T04:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/?p=1400728&preview=true&preview_id=1400728"},"modified":"2026-01-29T04:15:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:15:22","slug":"local-prosecutors-launch-a-project-to-fight-federal-overreach-in-immigration-enforcement-surges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/2026\/01\/29\/local-prosecutors-launch-a-project-to-fight-federal-overreach-in-immigration-enforcement-surges\/","title":{"rendered":"Local prosecutors launch a project to fight federal overreach in immigration enforcement surges"},"content":{"rendered":"

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 A group of local prosecutors concerned about recent immigration enforcement operations<\/a> launched a project Wednesday to strategize and seek accountability<\/a> for what they consider federal overreach and unconstitutional behavior<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The program is called Fight Against Federal Overreach, a tongue-in-cheek reference to an obscene acronym<\/a> that is popular in memes and has been used by members of the Trump administration to taunt opponents.<\/p>\n

Officials in Minnesota, along with criminal justice experts and former federal prosecutors, are increasingly critical of the federal response<\/a> to the aggressive tactics being used by immigration officers in Minneapolis and the surrounding area<\/a>. The killing of two civilians<\/a> by federal officers, including the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti<\/a> on Saturday, has drawn increasing criticism from public officials<\/a>, including Republicans<\/a>, and massive protests<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney and one of the founding members of the group, said he\u2019s never before seen the law enforcement tactics and attitude<\/a> recently apparent in U.S. cities.<\/p>\n

He said the officers who conceal their faces and badge numbers are unprofessional and that they have been given bad orders from authorities with a poor understanding of the law. He cited a declaration by Vice President JD Vance that the officers have immunity from prosecution for any of their actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cA functional Department of Justice, gone. Functional United States attorneys offices applying the law in an even handed way, gone. Good, qualified officials within those organizations, they\u2019re retiring, resigning or leaving,\u201d Krasner said. \u201cIt used to be, you could rely on the federal government to rein in rogue sheriffs who are killing people on the side of the road \u2026 but now the federal government are the rogue sheriffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local officials must fill the gap where federal authorities are failing, partly because there\u2019s no federal pardon power for state level convictions, he said.<\/p>\n