Judge Restricts ICE Actions Against Protesters in Minnesota

A federal judge in Minnesota on Friday ruled that federal immigration agents can’t detain or use nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools on protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents.

The decision, handed down by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, stems from a lawsuit brought last month by six local activists.

These individuals, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota, said that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel infringed on their First Amendment rights while the individuals were observing federal agents performing their duties.

After the ruling, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, issued a statement saying her agency was taking “appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”

She said people have assaulted officers, vandalized their vehicles and federal property, and attempted to impede officers from doing their work.

“We remind the public that rioting is dangerous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony,” McLaughlin said.

Under the new mandate, agents are barred from detaining drivers or their passengers unless they are obstructing or interfering with agents. The judge said that trailing vehicles at a safe distance does not inherently warrant a traffic stop.

Safely following agents “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop,” the ruling said.

Menendez added that agents must have reasonable suspicion supported by solid evidence of a crime or active disruption to officers duties. Peaceful assembly and oversight, without direct meddling, fall outside permissible reasons for intervention.

Protesters and federal agents have clashed during enforcement operations in recent months but intensified after an Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good during an encounter on Jan. 7 that was captured on video from several angles.

The incident has met with differing interpretations, with some defending the ICE agent’s action as self-defense and others alleging that he used excessive force.

Attorneys for the federal side argued that agents operate under established guidelines to uphold immigration laws and ensure personal safety. They said officers have been attacked, harassed, and doxxed nationwide and in Minnesota, and that their responses have been appropriate and justified.

The Epoch Times reached out to DHS and the ACLU but did not hear back before publication.

Joseph Lord and the Associated Press contributed to this report .