JUDGE RULES FEDERAL AGENTS IN MINNEAPOLIS IMMIGRATION OPERATION CANNOT DETAIN OR USE TEAR GAS AGAINST PEACEFUL PROTESTERS. (PHOTO).

 Judge rules federal agents in Minneapolis immigration operation cannot detain or use tear gas against peaceful protesters

    Federal officers involved in the largest recent immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area cannot detain, arrest, or use tear gas against peaceful protesters who are not interfering with law enforcement, including those who are merely observing agents at a safe distance, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez issued the decision in a case brought in December by six Minnesota activists who, along with thousands of others, have been monitoring the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents during the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. The ruling comes amid weeks of tense confrontations between federal agents and demonstrators, which escalated sharply after an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7 as she drove away from a scene in Minneapolis, an incident captured on video. Since the operation began, federal agents have arrested or briefly detained numerous individuals, prompting concerns that peaceful protesters and legal observers were being targeted without proper legal justification.

In her order, Menendez made clear that officers may not stop or detain drivers or passengers unless there is reasonable suspicion that they are obstructing or interfering with law enforcement, emphasizing that simply following agents at an appropriate distance does not meet that standard. She also ruled that arrests are prohibited without probable cause or reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed. Federal officials defended their actions, with the Department of Homeland Security stating that agents are taking constitutional measures to protect themselves and the public, while warning that obstruction, vandalism, and assaults on officers are serious crimes. The decision overlaps with broader legal challenges now before Menendez, including a lawsuit filed by the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul seeking to suspend the enforcement operation altogether. While she declined to immediately halt the crackdown, the judge acknowledged the significance of the constitutional issues involved and ordered additional legal briefing, noting that the disputes raise complex questions with limited precedent and underscoring calls from state officials to de-escalate tensions.