A federal judge on Friday issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and blocked ICE from arresting so-called peaceful protestors.
US District Judge Katherine Menendez, a Biden appointee, also blocked ICE agents from deploying non-lethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools against protestors.
Six individuals sued The DHS, DHS Chief Kristi Noem and other federal agencies to restrict ICE’s tactics.
Approximately 3,000 federal agents have descended on Minnesota to arrest criminal illegal aliens.
Judge Menendez also ruled that protestors may ‘safely’ follow ICE vehicles.
The judge ruled:
Covered Federal Agents are hereby enjoined from:
a. Retaliating against persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity, including observing the activities of Operation Metro Surge.
b. Arresting or detaining persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity, including observing the activities of Operation Metro Surge, in retaliation for their protected conduct and absent a showing of probable cause or reasonable suspicion that the person has committed a crime or is obstructing or interfering with the activities of Covered Federal Officers.
c. Using pepper-spray or similar nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools against persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity, including observing the activities of Operation Metro Surge, in retaliation for their protected conduct.
d. Stopping or detaining drivers and passengers in vehicles where there is no reasonable articulable suspicion that they are forcibly obstructing or interfering with Covered Federal Agents, or otherwise violating 18 U.S.C. § 111. The act of safely following Covered Federal Agents at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop.
BREAKING: A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered restrictions on ICE’s tactics against protesters who aren’t suspected of committing crimes — including stopping cars that aren’t obstructing them. https://t.co/FroWD9hSUJ pic.twitter.com/7MWhntoM8X
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 17, 2026
Separately, the state of Minnesota sued the Department of Homeland Security to stop federal agents from conducting lawful immigration raids.
Judge Menendez did not immediately issue a TRO on that case. She gave both sides more time to submit arguments.
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