Minnesota is not an island – geographically or legally. That’s the firm message from the Jan. 31 decision by Judge Katherine Menendez, refusing to issue a preliminary injunction against the federal government’s immigration law enforcement operations in Minnesota.

The federal immigration laws apply in Minnesota just as much as in Missouri. Contrary to cynical politicians who seek to weaponize misguided individuals into fighting a phantom holy war pitting some states against the national government, Operation Metro Surge is neither unconstitutional nor a violation of states’ rights.

The federal court’s stinging rebuke appears to have quickly forced Minnesota’s governor to deliver “unprecedented cooperation” and enable border czar Tom Homan to draw down federal agents on Feb 5. Here’s why.

Let’s start with how this case got to court. Minnesota’s politicians have been engaged in lawfare against the Trump administration, claiming that the federal government is intruding on the state’s sovereignty. They challenged the federal enforcement actions as violative of the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Minnesota sought a preliminary injunction to stop Operation Metro Surge.

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Even though the court’s ruling was on a preliminary motion, the constitutional argument was effectively busted by the judge’s reasoning.

Minnesota argued that Operation Metro Surge was motivated by political animus, aimed at punishing it because it was a sanctuary state, and violated the Constitution’s equal sovereignty and anticommandeering principles.

The problem is that our Founding Fathers designed the Constitution to ensure the supremacy of federal laws and the capacity of the executive branch to enforce them. In Federalist No. 44, James Madison expounded on the perils of not having such supremacy: “the world would have seen, for the first time, a system of government founded on an inversion of the fundamental principles of all government; it would have seen the authority of the whole society every where subordinate to the authority of the parts; it would have seen a monster, in which the head was under the direction of the members.”

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Madison concluded that “no part of the power is unnecessary or improper for accomplishing the necessary objects of the Union. The question, therefore, whether this amount of power shall be granted or not, resolves itself into another question, whether or not a government commensurate to the exigencies of the Union shall be established; or, in other words, whether the Union itself shall be preserved.”

Nowhere is the question about the preservation of the union more critical than in the matter of immigration and foreign relations. That’s why the president has such broad powers in these areas, because he needs those powers as they are “commensurate to the exigencies of the Union” and necessary to preserve a unified country under the laws.

Here, the supreme federal law is the Immigration and Naturalization Act, a statute passed by Congress. That law confers power on federal officials to undertake various enforcement actions, including detention and removal. And President Donald Trump campaigned and won an election specifically on the total abdication by the prior administration in enforcing immigration laws. Having won the election on that issue, it stood to reason that Trump would keep his promise and seek to remove illegal migrants – especially those with criminal backgrounds.

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In the face of widespread fraud and diversion of federal funds to illegal migrants and the state governor’s willful refusal to prosecute them, Trump deployed federal officers to enforce the law.

Minnesota’s argument in court that Trump violated the 10th Amendment’s anticommandeering principle is nonsense. As explained by the Supreme Court in New York v. US, 505 U. S. 144, 161, “Congress may not simply ‘commandeer the legislative process of the States by directly compelling them to enact and enforce a federal regulatory program.’” The purpose is to ensure political accountability, protect individual liberty and prevent the federal government from transferring the costs of enforcing a federal law on to the states.

Contrary to cynical politicians who seek to weaponize misguided individuals into fighting a phantom holy war pitting some states against the national government, Operation Metro Surge is neither unconstitutional nor a violation of states’ rights.

Trump and ICE did not commandeer Minnesota state officials to enforce immigration laws. In fact, the Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor have both loudly proclaimed that they will not enforce immigration laws or cooperate with the federal government. They have labeled ICE agents as thugs and goons and incited resistance. Clearly, state officials are not being commandeered – the facts show the opposite: resistance.

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Minnesota also claimed that ICE operations were causing it to respond and divert resources away from other purposes. This is equally nonsensical – it takes fewer resources to cooperate and help ICE in arresting criminals than it does to obstruct and resist. No one forced Minnesota to appease its voter banks and provide a freebie for those who evade immigration laws. In effect, Minnesota is telling anyone who is clever enough to violate or evade immigration law that the state’s legal machinery will protect them. That is a response and diversion of resources to protect lawbreakers – of Minnesota’s own choosing. It was not a choice forced on it by ICE.

Second, the equal sovereignty argument is unavailing. The president has discretion on the enforcement of the immigration laws just as he does in the context of other executive powers conferred upon him by the Constitution. The Supreme Court explained in US. v. Texas, 599 U.S. 670, 678 (2023), that under Article II, “the Executive Branch possesses authority to decide ‘how to prioritize and how aggressively to pursue legal actions against defendants who violate the law.’”

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The deployment of ICE officers in larger numbers in Minnesota underscores the value of the discretion possessed by the president. Clearly, the fraudulent diversion of funds to illegal migrants and Minnesota’s refusal to take corrective actions warranted a more robust federal enforcement response than in other states. Equal sovereignty is not violated by the prudent exercise of discretion – it is reinforced by proportionate enforcement.

Ultimately, Democrat Gov. Tim Walz’s lawfare against the Trump administration is not a war about state sovereignty. It is a war for and on behalf of lawbreakers being fought by diverting valuable resources away from law-abiding citizens and using misguided citizens as cannon fodder. Minnesota deserves better.

The NBA announced its full Slam Dunk contest slate on Saturday, Feb. 7 — and it didn’t include Jalen Duren.

ESPN reported Monday that the Detroit Pistons’ big had accepted an invite to the dunk contest, but he will settle for the All-Star Game instead. Duren was named an All-Star for the first time last Sudnay, joining starter Cade Cunningham and coach J.B. Bickerstaff in the game scheduled for Feb. 15. 

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, Miami Heat wing Keshad Johnson and Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson (a Michigan State alumnus) are the dunk contest participants. Duren exited the Pistons’ game Thursday early with right knee soreness, then missed their win over the New York Knicks on Friday.

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The Pistons did gain more All-Star representation, though, as ex-Pistons All-Star Richard Hamilton (2002-11) will participate in the “Shooting Stars” challenge with Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes on “Team All-Star,” former Piston Allan Houston (1993-96) will be part of “Team Knicks,” along with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns and former Piston Corey Maggette (2012-13) will team up with Duke alumni in Atlanta Hawks star Jalen Johnson and Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel on “Team Cameron.”

The two other Shooting Stars lineups: Team Harper: five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. and sons Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs) and Ron Harper Jr. (Boston Celtics).

Duren has established himself as a rising star for a Pistons team sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings at 36-12, 5½ games ahead of the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. The fourth-year center is averaging a career-high 18 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

Duren’s and Cunningham’s All-Star nods mark the Pistons’ first time with multiple representatives in the game since 2008, when Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace all made the East team as reserves.

2026 NBA All-Star reserves

Eastern Conference

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons.

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks.

Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks.

Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers

Norman Powell, Miami Heat

Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors.

Western Conference

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets.

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets.

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns.

Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers.

LeBron James, LA Lakers.

2026 NBA All-Star Game format

The 2026 All-Star Game format will have two teams of U.S.-born players and one “World” team consisting of international players. The three teams will compete in a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games.

The breakdown, per NBA.com: “In the round-robin tournament, Team A will play Team B in Game 1. The winning team from Game 1 will take on Team C in Game 2, followed by the losing team of Game 1 meeting Team C in Game 3.

“After Game 3, the top two teams by record will advance to face each other in the championship game (Game 4). If all three teams have a 1-1 record after Game 3, the tiebreaker would be point differential in each team’s two round-robin games.”

Pistons in 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend

Cade Cunningham was named a starter in the All-Star Game on Jan. 19, becoming the first Piston picked to start since Allen Iverson in 2008-09. Cunningham, a reserve last season, is the first Piston to make consecutive All-Star games since Chauncey Billups from 2006-08.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was officially named a head coach for the 2026 All-Star game on Jan. 24. Bickerstaff is the first Pistons coach with an All-Star nod since Flip Saunders in 2006, and the fourth all-time, following Saunders, Doug Collins in 1997 and Chuck Daly in 1990.

Cunningham, Duren and Bickerstaff are all on the “Team USA Stars” team.

NBA All-Star starters 2026

Eastern Conference

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons.

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks.

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers.

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks.

Western Conference

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder.

Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers.

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors.

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs.

Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets.

MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] 

2026 NBA All-Star Weekend schedule

(All times Eastern)

Friday, Feb. 13

All-Star Celebrity Game: 7 p.m., ESPN, Kia Forum.

Rising Stars Game: 9 p.m., Peacock, Intuit Dome.

NBA HBCU Classic (Hampton vs. North Carolina A&T): 11 p.m., Peacock, Kia Forum.

Saturday, Feb. 14

All-Star Media Day: 1:30 p.m., NBA TV, Intuit Dome.

All-Star Saturday (3-point competition, dunk contest, skills competition): 5 p.m., NBC/Peacock, Intuit Dome.

Sunday, Feb. 15

75th NBA All-Star Game: 5 p.m., NBC/Peacock, Intuit Dome.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man was sentenced to life in prison for a fatal March 2025 shooting near Holton and Center.

29-year-old Samuel Dickerson was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, Feb. 6. Dickerson is eligible for extended supervision after serving 30 years.

Dickerson had pleaded guilty to the first-degree intentional homicide charge back in January. A dangerous weapon enhancer tied to that charge was dismissed, as was a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Case details

The backstory:

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were dispatched to a shooting near Holton and Center just before 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 16. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a victim lying in the street. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics arrived on the scene and took the shooting victim to the hospital for treatment. Within an hour, the victim was pronounced deceased at Froedtert Hospital.

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Detectives at the crime scene located four spent 9mm casings. They also collected surveillance video footage of the homicide from a nearby business. The complaint says the video shows three people including the victim, defendant and a third person walking on N. Holton just moments before the shooting. The “defendant suddenly produces a handgun from his right waist area, points it directly at (the victim’s) chest, and fires,” the complaint says. The detective said “a muzzle flash is visible” on the video. The detective noticed that “after the first shot, (the victim) doubles over, and the defendant fires a second time,” the complaint says. The complaint says the defendant fired two more shots before putting the gun in a pocket and walking off camera into a parking lot.

Scene near Holton and Center, Milwaukee

An officer who responded to the homicide scene was approached by someone who indicated the defendant and victim “had argued earlier that day,” the complaint says. This person identified the shooter as the defendant.

A detective learned the “defendant was on GPS tracking as part of his DOC supervision” and that “the defendant had cut off his GPS bracelet” around 9 p.m. on Sunday, about an hour after the shooting. Detectives went to the area where the bracelet was last detected and found it “in a trash can inside of a donut shop,” the complaint says.

Holton and Center, Milwaukee

The next day, Madison police got a call from a person that indicated they and the defendant had traveled to Madison. This person indicated the defendant had shot and killed the victim and “indicated that he was going to try to take a bus to Chicago,” the complaint says.

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Madison police responded to the Madison bus depot where they located a bus bound for Chicago that had already begun the boarding process. One officer boarded the bus and “observed the defendant attempting to conceal his identity by pulling the drawstrings on his hood tight to obscure his face,” the complaint says. When the officer approached the defendant, he “put his hands in the air and was taken into custody without incident,” the complaint says. The officer located a 9mm handgun on the defendant.

Holton and Center, Milwaukee

In an interview with a detective, the defendant “admitted” that he had shot the victim,” the complaint says.