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A federal judge in Minnesota ordered on Friday that immigration agents cannot detain or use tear gas against peaceful protesters who are not obstructing their work, during the largest recent operation for immigration control in the area of the U.S. city of Minneapolis.
The district judge Kate Menéndez ruled that federal agents involved in the immigration operation in Minneapolis–St. Paul cannot detain, arrest, or use tear gas against individuals who are peacefully protesting or merely observing the actions of the authorities without interfering.
The ruling responds to a lawsuit filed in December on behalf of six activists from Minnesota, reported the news agency AP.
The decision establishes that following agents “at an appropriate distance” does not, by itself, constitute reasonable suspicion to justify the detention of vehicles or individuals.
Menéndez emphasized that officers cannot arrest anyone without probable cause or reasonable indications that a crime has been committed or that they have obstructed law enforcement.
The plaintiffs are among the thousands of residents who have been monitoring the actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol since the immigration offensive launched by the Trump administration began last month.
Since then, there have been frequent confrontations between federal agents and protesters, with dozens of arrests and temporary detentions.
Tensions escalated following the death of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot in the head on January 7 while driving away from an immigration intervention in Minneapolis.
The shooting, captured on video from multiple angles, sparked massive protests and a strong reaction from local authorities and civil rights organizations.
The Department of Homeland Security defended its actions. In a statement, Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin asserted that the agency takes “appropriate and constitutional measures” to protect its agents and the public, and maintained that some protesters have assaulted officers, vandalized official vehicles, and attempted to hinder operations. “Obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime,” she warned.
Judge Menéndez is also presiding over another lawsuit filed this week by the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which aim to suspend the immigration operation.
Although he declined to issue an immediate restraining order, he acknowledged the seriousness of the issues raised and requested both parties to present new legal arguments in the coming days.
The judicial ruling comes as President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 and deploy federal troops to contain the protests.
State and local authorities have rejected that possibility and announced that they will go to court if the federal government attempts to militarize the response.
Meanwhile, investigations into the death of Renee Good are ongoing. The ICE agent involved remains under investigation, while the victim's family has announced a federal lawsuit for excessive use of force, in a case that has reignited the national debate on immigration, security, and civil rights.
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