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US Judge Curbs ICE Tactics Against Protesters in Minnesota
A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered ICE agents to stop retaliating against peaceful protesters and observers, banning arrests without cause and the use of tear gas or pepper spray during immigration operations.
ND
by News Desk
2026-01-17
US Judge Curbs ICE Tactics Against Protesters in Minnesota

A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered United States immigration agents deployed in the state to curb several enforcement tactics used against peaceful protesters and observers monitoring their operations.

The ruling comes amid mounting tensions following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier this month while sitting behind the wheel of her car. Good had been participating in neighborhood patrols organised by local activists to track and observe ICE activity.

On Friday, US District Judge Kate Menendez issued an injunction barring federal agents from retaliating against individuals engaged in peaceful, unobstructive protest or lawful observation of immigration enforcement actions.

Under the court order, officers are explicitly prohibited from arresting or detaining individuals who are protesting peacefully or conducting orderly observation unless there is reasonable suspicion that they have committed a crime or are interfering with law enforcement operations.

The ruling also bans the use of pepper spray, tear gas or other crowd-control munitions against peaceful demonstrators or bystanders who are observing or recording enforcement activities.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been given 72 hours to bring its operations in Minneapolis into compliance with the court’s order.

The decision marks a significant victory for activists in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s largest city, two weeks after the Trump administration announced the deployment of 2,000 immigration agents to the area. Their numbers have since reportedly increased to nearly 3,000, surpassing the size of the local police force. DHS has described the operation as the largest of its kind in US history.

Protests have erupted across Minneapolis, with demonstrators opposing the targeting of undocumented migrants. Clashes have been reported between protesters and immigration officers, with some agents accused of using force against crowds.

As tensions escalated between the Trump administration and state and city leaders, President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy the military to suppress unrest.

“If I needed it, I would use it. I don’t think there is any reason right now to use it,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

The Insurrection Act allows the president to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act — a 19th-century law limiting the use of the military in civilian law enforcement — in cases of “armed rebellion” or “domestic violence,” permitting the deployment of US troops on domestic soil.
Tagged:

Protests

Immigration

ICE

Minnesota

USCourts
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