Tim Phillips

Enbridge paid police to protect one pipeline. Now it wants to do it again in Wisconsin. The Bad River Band is fighting to stop Line 5 and protect its watershed. Meanwhile, local sheriffs are already tallying the cost of riot gear.

My latest for @grist.org: Pipeline giant Enbridge will pay for police to respond to potential Indigenous-led protests as it begins construction of the controversial Line 5 reroute around the Bad River reservation

grist.org/indigenous/e...

Trylon punch card showing that I attended the film "Michael Clayton"

Went to see one of the greatest lawyer movies of all time, Michael Clayton, with a friend @trylon.org last night!

this was a fun one to attend with my son today ⚽🤩

*Pretti

My son and I were there, too!

Thomas R. Anderson III, Anderson & Anderson Law LLC, Minneapolis, MN, for Saul N. Graham Blair Ojala-Barbour, Ojala-Barbour Law Firm, St. Paul, MN, for Abdirahman S. Nancy Alaine Peterson, Nancy A. Peterson, St. Paul, MN, for Maria P. Khanh Ngoc Nguyen, Khanh Nguyen Law Office, LLC, Minneapolis, MN, for Jose P. Gloria Contreras Edin, Contreras Edin Law, PA, Saint Paul, MN, for Daniel D. Abdinasir M. Abdulahi, AMA Law Office, LLC, Minneapolis, MN, for Yussuf M. Tim Phillips, Law Office of Tim Phillips, Minneapolis, MN, for Francisco Z. m boulette, Minneapolis, MN, for Julio C. Maria Miller, Martin Law, Bloomington, MN, for Luis P. Joseph D. Kantor, Guzior Maher Armbrecht, St. Paul, MN; and Sherene Mostaghimi, Gam Law, St. Paul, MN, for Emilio P. Albert I. Usumanu, Minneapolis, MN, for Luis A. and George A. Graham Blair Ojala-Barbour, Ojala-Barbour Law Firm, Saint Paul, MN, for Edison Q. Rachel M. Engebretson, Engebretson Law Firm, P.A., Blaine, MN, for Hector C. and Alfonso P

Abdiqani Jabane, Jabane Law Office, Minneapolis, MN, for Amin Y. Mackenzie R. Moy, Zelle LLP, Minneapolis, MN, for David H. and Carmen S. Hannah Brown, Wayzata, MN; Isabelle Plunkett, Roseville, MN; Kelsey Allen, Davis & Goldfarb, PLLC, Minneapolis, MN; and Kelsey Hines, Hines Immigration Law, PLLC, Roseville MN, for Hussein A. John R. Browning, Hennepin County Adult Representation, Minneapolis, MN, for Abdi G. Daniel P. Suitor, Daniel P. Suitor LLP, Minneapolis, MN, for Jor Y. Taylor Jon Volkman, I, Taylor Volkman, Esq., Minneapolis, MN, for Felipe C. Nicholas Ratkowski, Ratkowski Law PLLC, St. Paul, MN, for Choeurm C. John Hayden, Quantum Lex PA, Minneapolis, MN, for Alex H. Ellen Soskin and Shannon L. Bjorklund, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Minneapolis, MN, for Carlos F. Sly Onyia, Onyia Law LLC, Minneapolis, MN, for Luis P. Mary Elizabeth Boyce, Schmidt & Salita Law Team, Minnetonka, MN, for Jean V. Segundo A., Minneapolis, MN, self-represented.

the only club I want to be a part of is the list of petitioner's attorneys invited to the contempt hearing, scheduled for 28 habeas cases combined, against the government for failing to properly account for our clients' property

awe-inspiring

saw this in person on friday with @joewmitchell.bsky.social & i'm still thinking about it!

😩

Opinion | In the Resistance, We Drive Minivans

Wonderfully written NY Times piece by a local dad involved in the resistance, really echoes with a lot of what we’re feeling: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/o... (gift link)

Julius Randle windmill dunk replays

This is a fantastic resource. Share widely!

“The goal of this project is to provide legal guidance and reliable information that is responsive to the evolving dynamics of repression in the United States. Information has been vetted by movement lawyers.”

Happy to share a little legal FAQ website I did in the last couple weeks with a few lawyers who do work with the National Lawyers Guild: icewatchlegal.org

Hope it's helpful, please feel free to share where it might be useful (and submit questions).

YouTube video by GoFourthMedia Documenting ICE in St. Cloud, MN: January 13, 2026

Here's a short video about media documenting ICE in St. Cloud. While they were observing, federal agents called the St. Cloud police on them for "harassment and stalking." With assistance from a colleague, I sent a letter to the St. Cloud police and they backed down 🎥🍿

m.youtube.com/watch?v=4lM3...

St. Peter police chief intervenes, prevents federal agents from arresting resident The police chief of St. Peter intervened to prevent federal agents from taking a local resident who was observing ICE enforcement actions into custody. It is believed to the first time local police in...

"MPR News has learned that the police chief in the small southern Minnesota city of St. Peter intervened Thursday afternoon to prevent federal immigration agents from arresting a local resident" who had been observing federal agents. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

A footnote from a court order stating the following: "1. This Court’s setting of an 11:00 a.m. deadline for responses to such petitions has been its consistent practice for at least a month. See, e.g., Case No. 25-cv-4786 (JMB/LIB), Doc. No. 4 (December 30, 2025 Order). While the Court is mindful of the workload that individual attorneys carry in the civil division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, especially with hundreds of habeas petitions filed in the last month alone, the rise in the number of petitions is simply the result of Respondents’ own actions. More importantly, the overwhelming majority of the petitions have been granted as judges reject Respondents’ various justifications for unlawfully detaining hundreds of petitioners like Francisco Z. In short, the Court will not excuse missed deadlines without a timely request for extension and for good cause, especially when a person’s liberty is at stake."

the hits keep coming

I’m leaving Minneapolis after an inspirational @npapjustice.bsky.social training yesterday for lawyers here-and around the country-on use of the Federal Tort Claims Act to hold ICE and CBP accountable for their rampant misconduct.

Docket Text: (Text-Only) ORDER: Respondents' Response to Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Doc. No. [6]) was filed after the Court's deadline (see Doc. No. [3]) and accordingly shall be STRICKEN from the record as untimely. Ordered by Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan on 1/29/2026. (GLB)

the federal government is not invincible, folks

JUST IN: Judge Schiltz cancels Friday’s contempt hearing but lights into ICE, saying the agency may have violated more court orders this month than many others have in their entire existence.

“ICE is not a law unto itself.”

"Hi Tim, Thanks for your message. I regret to say I am probably an inapt point of contact for coordination about release status, as I have resigned from the USAO effective tomorrow and so will no longer have access to my work email. I have been authorized to share this email address with you which is for the ICE duty attorney:"

After a judge granted our habeas petition & ordered Pam Bondi, et al. to release our client, I emailed opposing counsel to ask where and when the client would be released. Opposing counsel began their reply by saying they "have resigned from the [United States Attorney's Office] effective tomorrow"

Alex Pretti’s coworkers take a moment of silence this morning

Steph Curry on watching the protests from his hotel window: "In negative 10-degree weather. It was beautiful to see that turnout. That speaks to how important people felt to have their voice heard. In those elements and whatever streets outside our hotel, they were out, and it was amazing to watch."

That you @timphillipslaw.bsky.social?

what a difference two weeks can make

I filed my first petition for a writ of habeas corpus on Tue., because ICE abducted a great-grandmother in the Twin Cities. On Wed., the court ordered that Pam Bondi, et al. not move my client out of the State of MN. On Thurs., the court ordered that my client be released. Then yesterday, she was!!!

This is the scene in downtown Minneapolis this afternoon, where thousands of people have braved -25F wind chills to protest ICE operations in Minnesota.

More: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/a-sea-of-people-thousands-turn-out-for-anti-ice-march-in-downtown-minneapolis

Pic: Mike Auger

In solidarity with today's ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA blackout, MinnMax is donating $1 to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for every share of this Bluesky post for the next hour.

'Picking the thing we know how to do' Minneapolis civil rights lawyer Tim Phillips, who wore an 'ICE OUT' shirt to a Wolves game that security asked him to remove, shares his experience.

“Each one of us is picking the thing we know how to do and trying to use that to stop ICE.”

@timphillipslaw.bsky.social, the civil rights lawyer who wore an ‘ICE OUT’ shirt courtside, took a short break from defending folks ICE has detained to write about that night for BASKETBALL FEELINGS

'Picking the thing we know how to do' Minneapolis civil rights lawyer Tim Phillips, who wore an 'ICE OUT' shirt to a Wolves game that security asked him to remove, shares his experience.

here's a guest essay i wrote about wearing the ICE OUT shirt to the timberwolves game 🏀

www.basketballfeelings.com/p/picking-th...

How to Help: Twin Cities Residents This is a post for people in Minnesota. I’m going to do a separate post for the non-Minnesotans when I’m done with this one. (If you’re in a hurry you can go to Stand With Minneso…

TWIN CITIES FOLKS WHO WANT TO HELP AND DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START: I put together a big list of resources. Do you want to deliver groceries? do people's laundry? work in community defense? I want to help you get connected!

naomikritzer.com/2026/01/19/h...

great summary of the situation in minneapolis right now

Target Center security apologizes after telling Timberwolves fan to remove ‘ICE OUT’ T-shirt Tim Phillips, a civil rights attorney, said that he wore the shirt in response to the increased presence of ICE agents in the Twin Cities.

Tim Phillips, a Minneapolis civil rights and criminal defense attorney, told The Athletic that he wore the shirt in response to the increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Twin Cities in recent weeks.

More details:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...