A U.S. District Judge issued a temporary injunction on Friday, January 17, placing specific restrictions on the actions of federal immigration agents during ongoing protests in Minneapolis. The order from U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez addresses the tactics used by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and follows weeks of demonstrations in the city.
The injunction prohibits federal agents from arresting, detaining, or using physical force against individuals engaged in peaceful protest or observation, unless there is probable cause that a crime has been committed. It specifically bars the use of crowd-control measures, including tear gas and pepper spray, on demonstrators who are not posing a physical threat to the public or to law enforcement.
According to the court ruling, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has 72 hours to bring its operations into compliance with the order.
The injunction was sought by civil rights groups on behalf of protesters following several confrontations with federal agents. The demonstrations began after the federal government deployed what it described as a significant number of ICE agents to the region to conduct immigration enforcement operations.
These protests intensified following an incident earlier this month in which an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, as she sat in her vehicle. At the time of the shooting, Good was reportedly participating in a neighborhood patrol organized to monitor the activities of federal agents.
The situation has drawn attention from national figures. On Thursday, former President Donald Trump addressed the Minneapolis protests during a media availability at the White House. When asked if he would use the Insurrection Act, a law that permits the president to deploy the military for domestic law enforcement, he stated, “If I needed it, I would use it. I don’t think there is any reason right now to use it.”
The court order temporarily modifies the rules of engagement for federal agents as they continue their operations in Minneapolis amid the sustained demonstrations. The injunction will remain in place pending further legal proceedings on the matter.
