At a Glance
- Federal officers in Minneapolis can’t detain peaceful observers during immigration raids
- Judge bars stops of drivers who merely follow agents “at an appropriate distance”
- Ruling issued after ACLU sued on behalf of six Minnesota activists
- Why it matters: Limits Trump-era immigration crackdown tactics that activists say chill free-speech rights
A federal judge on Friday ordered federal immigration officers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to stop detaining or tear-gassing peaceful protesters who are only watching enforcement actions.
U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez ruled the Constitution bars Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents from arresting people without probable cause or reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.
The Case Behind the Order
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed suit in December on behalf of six local activists. The plaintiffs are among thousands who have monitored federal immigration sweeps that began last month under the Trump administration’s crackdown.
The suit argues officers have violated Twin Cities residents’ constitutional rights by:
- Detaining drivers and passengers without cause
- Using tear gas on nonviolent observers
- Making arrests based on vague claims of “obstruction”
Key Restrictions in the Ruling
Menendez’s order explicitly prohibits officers from:
- Stopping vehicles when occupants show “no reasonable suspicion” of interfering with agents
- Arresting people who are “safely following agents at an appropriate distance”
“Safely following agents ‘at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop,'” the judge wrote.
Escalating Tensions
Federal agents and demonstrators have clashed repeatedly since the enforcement surge started. Confrontations intensified after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good in the head on January 7 as she drove away from a Minneapolis scene. Multiple videos captured the incident.
Agents have since arrested or briefly detained many people across the Twin Cities, according to court filings.
DHS Responds
After the ruling, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended her agency’s tactics. She said officers have faced assaults, vandalized vehicles and damaged federal property, adding:
> “We remind the public that rioting is dangerous – obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony.”
The ACLU did not immediately comment Friday night.
Related State Lawsuit
Judge Menendez is also overseeing a separate suit filed Monday by Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul seeking to suspend the crackdown entirely. She declined Wednesday to issue an immediate temporary restraining order, calling the constitutional questions “enormously important” but lacking clear precedent.
State Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter urged the court to “lower the temperature,” while Menendez ordered both sides to file additional briefs next week.
Key Takeaways
- Federal immigration officers in the Minneapolis area must now have specific cause before detaining observers
- The ruling could affect how ICE and Border Patrol operate in other cities facing large-scale protests
- A broader state-led challenge to the enforcement surge remains pending
