The Forum Daily | Tuesday, January 13, 2026https://www.forumtogether.org

Officials in Minnesota and Illinois filed federal lawsuits against the Trump administration yesterday, saying the deployment of federal agents into their states contradicts the Constitution and compromises states’ autonomy, reports Mitch Smith of The New York Times [link removed]. 

The lawsuits were filed separately in U.S. district courts, with Illinois seeking to block federal agents "from conducting civil immigration enforcement" in the state without "express congressional authorization." Minnesota has requested to the court to block federal agents from "implementing the unprecedented surge in Minnesota." 

The lawsuits come after intense immigration enforcement operations in both states, including the killing of Renee Good, a Minnesota mother of three, last week. Minnesota Public Radio News [link removed] continues to track the federal actions and subsequent backlash in Minnesota, including a student walkout and the lawsuit. 

In parts of Minneapolis, restaurants have closed out of concern that employees will be harassed by immigration enforcement officers, Corin Hoggard of Fox 9 [link removed] reports. In a separate Fox 9 [link removed] segment, Ryan Allen of the University of Minnesota said business closures "can have a cascading effect" and spoke of immigrants’ importance to the state’s economy. 

Separately, Shaila Dewan and Chris Hippensteel, also of The New York Times [link removed], take a look at what happens when tensions rise between local law enforcement and federal agents. 

Meanwhile, four people detained in immigration detention facilities died within the first 10 days of 2026, reports Ted Hesson of Reuters [link removed]. The deaths follow a record number of deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in 2025 — at least 30.  

Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s VP of Strategic Communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Nicci Mattey and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

**TOUGHER** — The administration has affirmed this morning that Temporary Protected Status for Somalis will end in March, as Dan Gooding and Shane Croucher report in Newsweek [link removed]. Moreover, Somali refugees in Minnesota who once found solace in their new home are now targets of the federal government, report Jazmine Ulloa and Campbell Robertson of The New York Times. And a worldwide clampdown on refugees and asylum seekers will make 2026 a difficult year for those fleeing war and persecution, reports Emma Batha of Reuters’ Context [link removed]. 

**FAMILIES IN THE BALANCE** — This past weekend, a federal judge paused a policy that would end a family reunification program for migrants coming from Central and South America, reports Adam Sella of The New York Times [link removed]. The judge granted a 14-day stay of the Trump administration’s decision to cancel the program, saying the Department of Homeland Security failed to provide timely written notice to those affected. 

**HEALTH CARE CHILL** — Some immigrant families in Massachusetts are choosing to forgo medical appointments because of anxieties surrounding increased immigration enforcement, report Sarah Rahal and Jason Laughlin of The Boston Globe [link removed]. Health care providers are concerned that a recent court decision allowing ICE to access immigrants’ Medicaid records could exacerbate the trend. Separately, a federal rule shift could leave more immigrant children uninsured, reports Abigail Ruhman of KERA News [link removed]. 

**HELPING ADJUST** — In Syracuse, New York, Olivier Sekarore’s small African grocery store represents the connection between his new home and his birthplace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports Sigourney Bell of Spectrum Local News [link removed]. After fleeing violence in his country, it took Sekarore some time to get to the U.S. and then to feel comfortable in a new place. He says that his store allows him to help newcomers like him adjust and learn. 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan 

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