A FEDERAL judge was set to hear arguments today on whether she should at least temporarily halt the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers.

The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul sued the United States Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer.

Saturday’s shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officer of Alex Pretti has only added urgency to the case.

Since the original filing, the state and cities have substantially added to their original request. They’re trying to restore the state of affairs that existed before the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge on December 1.

The State and the twin cities are asking US District Judge Kathleen Menendez to order federal law enforcement agencies to reduce the numbers of officers and agents in Minnesota to levels before the surge, while allowing them to continue to enforce immigration laws within a long list of proposed limits.

Justice Department attorneys have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous” and said “Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement.”

They asked the judge to reject the request or at least stay her order pending an anticipated appeal.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference on Sunday that he and the cities filed their lawsuit because of “the unprecedented nature of this surge.

“It is a novel abuse of the Constitution that we’re looking at right now. No-one can remember a time when we’ve seen something like this.”

Meanwhile, there are a growing number of Republicans who are pressing for a deeper investigation into immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

House Homeland Security committee chairman Andrew Garbarino sought testimony from leaders at Ice, Customs and Border Protection and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying “my top priority remains keeping Americans safe.”

A host of other congressional Republicans, including Representative Michael McCaul of Texas and Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, pressed for more information.

Senator Cassidy, who is facing a Trump-backed challenger in his re-election bid, said the shooting was “incredibly disturbing” and he is pushing for “a full joint federal and state investigation.”

Senator Tillis, who is not seeking re-election, urged a “thorough and impartial investigation” and said “any administration official who rushes to judgement and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.”