November 5: Under Tension: The Rule of Law and Operation Metro Surge

The Mitchell Hamline Law Review presents Under Tension: The Rule of Law and Operation Metro Surge, a day-long symposium examining constitutional and rule-of-law issues arising in the wake of Operation Metro Surge and their implications for the exercise and limits of governmental power.

The program will feature scholars, practitioners, public officials, and community voices discussing constitutional governance, justice, and accountability. 

Registration is required by November 1, 2026.

Title:
Under Tension: The Rule of Law and Operation Metro Surge

Date/Time/Location: Thursday, November 5, 2026
8:00 AM-4:30 PM ET • 7:00 AM-3:30 PM CT • 6:00 AM-2:30 PM MT • 5:00 AM-1:30 PM PT
Via Zoom or in-person at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, 875 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105
Register Now!

CLE Credit: Pending

Highlights

• Introduction: This session will lay out a chronological, fact-based account of Operation Metro Surge. The discussion is intended to remain focused on the facts and grounded in sourced research, minimizing political commentary. This panel is designed to give attendees the shared factual foundation needed to follow the rest of the day’s program.
  
• Sovereignty, Federalism & Tribal Nations: This panel explores what happens when federal enforcement power collides with state and tribal authority. Discussion will center on the structural limits federalism places on federal action, the distinct sovereignty interest of tribal nations, and what mechanisms exist and whether they are adequate when federal, state, and tribal legal obligations come into conflict.
• Keynote Address:  Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law.
• Immigration, Enforcement & the Rule of Law: This panel will examine the constitutional boundaries of federal immigration enforcement, using Operation Metro Surge as a lens. Discussion will center on the scope and limits of federal immigration authority, the due process protections that apply during large-scale enforcement operations, and the role of courts and legal institutions in responding when enforcement raises serious constitutional questions.
• Law Enforcement, Prosecutorial Discretion, & Legal Accountability: This panel looks at how lawyers and public officials respond to the legal and practical challenges that arise during large-scale enforcement operations. Panelists will discuss the choices facing law enforcement and prosecutors, including questions of professional independence, institutional pressure, and constitutional and ethical responsibility. The discussion will also explore how lawyers representing affected individuals and communities use habeas, constitutional litigation, and other forms of advocacy to challenge government action and protect individual rights. The panel will consider the experiences of those documenting or responding to enforcement activity, the broader effects of enforcement operations on affected communities, and what the rule of law requires of lawyers working in very different roles.

Registration:
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Sponsored By:
Mitchell Hamline School of  Law.

More Information And Registration