Minnesota state and county officials filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration, alleging the federal government is withholding evidence related to three shootings by federal officers during immigration enforcement operations in the Minneapolis area.

The lawsuit concerns shootings that occurred during Operation Metro Surge, described by the Department of Homeland Security as its largest immigration enforcement operation. Two of the shootings resulted in deaths: Renee Good and Alex Pretti. A third person, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, was also shot by federal agents.

According to the lawsuit, the federal government initially promised to cooperate with state investigations but later refused to provide information about the incidents. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty characterized the federal government's approach as "categorically withholding evidence," calling the practice unprecedented.

The legal action asks the court to order federal compliance with state investigation requests. Minnesota officials argue in the lawsuit that the federal government cannot "withhold investigative evidence for the purpose of shielding law enforcement officers from scrutiny where a State is investigating serious potential violations of its criminal laws."

The Justice Department announced in January that it was opening a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti's death but determined that a similar federal probe was not warranted in Good's case. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has stated that the Civil Rights Division does not investigate every law enforcement shooting and requires specific circumstances to warrant an investigation.

Operation Metro Surge involved deploying thousands of officers to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area as part of President Trump's national deportation campaign. While DHS considered the operation successful, it faced criticism from Minnesota leaders and raised questions about officer conduct during the enforcement actions.